10 DR. B. SEEMANN ON THE CRESCENTIACE^E. 



According to Perville, who found tliis species at St. Marie, in the N.E. of Madagascar, it 

 is a shrub 12-15 feet liigh, with rose-coloured flowers. The speciiic name " tetragona " does 

 not apply well to this plant, since better specimens than those at DeCandolle's disposal 

 show that the normal number of the leaves, and the consequent edges of the branches, is 

 seven, and that only weak specimens have square branches. The hard, acute, persistent 

 scales occasionally met with in this species, and regarded by Bojer as stipules, appear to 

 me (as supposed by DeCandolle) to be abortive leaves, somewhat analogous to the scales 

 on the trunk of Cycas. 



§ II. Fulia opposita. Flores axillares vel terminales. (Tripinna, Lour.) 



8. CoLEA DECORA ; fruticosa, glabra, ramis compressis, foliis oppositis 5-jugis cum impari, 



trifoliolatis vel imo simplicibus, foliolis petiolulatis obovato-oblongis obtusis vel acu- 

 minatis, basi subcuneatis, coriaceis, supra nitidis, petiolo angustissime marginato, 

 racemis terminalibus vel asillaribus bracteatis, bracteis obovatis acutis vel obtusis 

 basi cuneatis, pedunculis acute tetragonis, pedicellis solitariis vel 4-no verticillatis, 

 calyce glabro, corolla (alba) staminibusque puberulis, ovario styloque glabris, 

 fructu ... (v. sp. s.) 



Colea decora, Bojer, Hort. Mauvit. p. 220 (1837) ; DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 241. n. 8. (1845). 



Coleal Chapelieri, DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 242 (1845). 



Colea} nitida, DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 242 (1845). 



Bignonia compressa, Lam. Diet. i. p. 424 (1783). 



Bignonia racemosa, Lam. Diet. i. p. 424 (1783) ; DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 166. n. 139 (1845). 



Geogr.Distr. Madagascar (iJoJe?- ! Goudotl Commerson\ Chapelier\ Petit-Thouars\ Boivinl). Goudot col- 

 lected it near Tamatave, and Boivin at Ste. Marie. 

 Easily distinguished from Colea tetragona, its nearest ally, by its opposite, never verti- 



cillate leaves, and from all other Coleas by its racemes clothed with foliaceous bracts. 



By its bracts it approaches Colea involucrata, Boj. It is necessary to add, that Bojer 



distributed specimens of Colea floribiinda, Boj. under the name of Bignonia decora, 



which has given rise to some confusion, leading in some herbaria to the error of attaching 



the name of Colea decora to the wrong plant. 



9. Colea involucrata ; fruticosa ; ramis teretibus glabris, foliis oppositis 3-G-jugis cum 



impari, foliolis petiolulatis ellipticis obtuse acuminatis, basi cuneatis, supra nitidis, 

 racemis abbreviatis (subcymosis) longe peduuculatis, 3-5-floris, bracteis 4 late obo- 

 vatis vel suborbiculatis cinctis, calyce glabro, dentibus obtusis, corolla (rubro-aurantia, 

 marguie flavo-aurantio) limbo patente obtuse 5-lobo, extus intusque glabra, stami- 

 nibus ovario styloque glabris, fructu (v. sp. s.) 



Colea involucrata, Bojer, Hort. Maurit. p. 221 (1837); DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 242 (1845). 

 Bignonia bracteosa, DeCand. Prodr. ix. p. 165 (1845). 

 Nomen vernaculum : " Slfin-souki-mena-felan," teste Bojer. 

 Geogr. Distr. Madagascar {Bojer \ in Herb. Par. et Hook.). 



The fruit of this species, though unknown to both DeCandoUe and myself, was pro- 

 bably seen by Bojer, and induced him to place the plant with his genus Colea, in which 



