Mr. J. Miers on the genus Marckea. 185 



XXI. — Contributions to the Botany of South America. 

 By John Mters, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. 



[Continued from p. 142.] 



Marckea. 



Of this genus no further information has hitherto been re- 

 corded beyond the short account first published by Richard, and 

 so little has its affinity been understood, that it was considered 

 by Endlicher as related to the Nicotianece. Its alliance however 

 is evidently with Solandra and Juanulloa, agreeing with the latter 

 genus in the structure of its calyx and fruit, and differing in the 

 hypocrateriform shape of its corolla, with broad, expanded and 

 almost rotate border, and in its scarlet colour. 



From a plant in Sir William Hooker's herbarium, with only a 

 single flower and fruit, I have been able to make the following 

 analysis, which in some respects is incomplete, as I was anxious 

 not to injure the specimen. 



Marckea, L. C. Richard. Lamarckea, Pers. — Calyx 5-sepalus, 

 persistens, vix augescens : sepala lanceolata, acuminatissima, 

 imo angustata, primum ultra medium, marginibus ciliatis, in 

 tubum pentagonum valvatim conniventia, hinc superne lineari- 

 attenuata, erecta, libera, dein in fructu omnino sejuncta. Co* 

 rolla hypocrateriformis, tubo elongato, cylindrico, fauce sub- 

 inflato, limbo 5-partito, laciniis oblongis, rotundatis, rotato- 

 expansis, subreflexis, sestivatione imbricata. Stamina 5, sequa- 

 lia, paulo supra basin corollse orta, basi lanata, filamenta erecta, 

 tenuia, anthera in faucem corollse inclusse, 2-loculares, lineari- 

 oblongse, lobis disjunctis, puncto medio affixis, rima marginali 

 longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ovarium 2-loculare, placentis e 

 dissepimento utrinque cruciatim tenuiter partientibus, hinc in- 

 crassatis undique ovuligeris, ovulis angulo basali nexis, adscen- 

 dentibus. Stylus tenuis, longitudine staminum. Stigma in- 

 tegrum? Bacca fere capsularis, exsucca, evalvis, pericarpio 

 tenui indehiscente, sepalis persistentibus tecta, oblonga, 2-sul- 

 cata, 2-locularis. Semina plurima, imbricatim disposita, ob- 

 longa, acuminata, imo gibba, hilo in angulo basali, adscen- 

 dentia, testa laxa. Embryo intra albumen parcum, carnosum, 

 axillaris, leviter arcuatus, radicula infera tereti, cotyledonibus 

 ovatis, compressis, incumbentibus, sequilonga. — Suffrutices 

 Guianenses et Antillani scandentes, ramis dependentibus ; folia 

 alterna, petiolata, elliptica, acuta, integra, glabra ; racemi axil- 

 lares } corolla coccinea. 



1. Marckea coccinea, L. C. Rich. Act. Soc. Hist. Nat. Par. 107; 

 A. Rich. Diet. Class, x. 168. cum icone. Lamarckea coccinea, 



