Mr. J. Miers on the genus Cliocarpus. L41 



size, having slender dissepiments, and being filled with an aqueous 

 juice and numerous seeds attached to a large central placentation ; 

 the berry when fully ripe becomes dry with its pericarp of thin 

 and brittle texture, being easily ruptured by an irregular lace- 

 ration. The seeds are flattened, reniform and rounded, about 

 1 line in diameter. 



Cliocarpus. 



Among Gardner's Brazilian plants I have noticed one, which 

 in the shape of its calyx, in the structure of its fruit, and espe- 

 cially in the form of its embryo, comes near Nicandra, but it dis- 

 agrees in having a woody stem and a wholly different habit ; its 

 calyx does not, as in Nicandra, become thin, membranaceous and 

 reticular, but is thick, somewhat fleshy, and densely covered 

 with stellate tomentum, approaching in its form more to that of 

 Juanulloa, although the shape of its embryo is that of the former 

 genus. Its flower is yet unknown, as the only specimens col- 

 lected were in fruit. On account of the structure of its seed I 

 have placed it for the present next Nicandra, but its exact posi- 

 tion cannot be known until we are acquainted with its floral cha- 

 racters. I have called the genus Cliocarpus from Kkeico, claudo, 

 Kapirbs, fructus, on account of its fruit being wholly concealed 

 within the enlarged enveloping calyx. The following may be 

 taken for its generic character until more ample details can be 

 obtained : — 



Cliocarpus (gen. nov.). Flos ignotus. — Calyx fructifer auctus, 

 5-partitus, laciniis lanceolatis, acutis, longitudinaliter subrepli- 

 catis, marginibus valvatim conniventibus, hinc tubum ventri- 

 cosum sinuosO'5-angulatum, ore 5-dentato fere clausum, simu- 

 lantibus, angulis imo saccatis. Bacca omnino inclusa, globosa, 

 2-locularis. Semina plurima, placentis dissepimento adnatis 

 affixa, reniformia, compressa ; testa scrobiculata, hilo in sinu 

 laterali. Embryo teres, in albumen carnosum spiraliter arcuatus, 

 cotyledonibus semiteretibus, radicula angulo basali spectante, 

 hilo evitante, sub-3-plo brevioribus. — Frutex Brasiliensis, dense 

 stellato-tomentosus ; foliis alternis, oblongis, integris, breviter 

 petiolatis ; floribus extra-axillaribus, binis vel solitariis, pedun- 

 culo fructifer o cernuo. 



1. Cliocarpus Gardneri (n. sp.) ; — foliis obovatis, acuminatis, basi 

 obtuse rotundatis, crassiusculis, supra pubescentibus, subtus 

 dense cano-tomentosis, pilis stipitato-stellatis. — Brasilia, ad 

 Arraial das Merces, Prov. Minas Geraes, v. s. in herb. Hook. 

 {Gardner, 5042). 



This is described as a shrub 6 to 10 feet high ; its branches 

 are woody and covered with yellowish tomentum ; the leaves are 



