allied to the Natural Order Burmanniaceee. 543 



floribus unibracteatis, bracteis pedicellis oppositis, perianthio medio baud 

 constricto: laciniis obtusioribus, capsula 6-costata apice dehiscenti. 



Sir William Hooker, in his Icones Plantarum, tab. 254, has figured the first- 

 mentioned species of Dictyostega under the name of Apteria orohanchioides ; 

 but it will be seen that this eminent botanist was under a mistake in referring 

 the plant to Apteria, owing perhaps to the imperfect description given of that 

 genus by Mr. Nuttall. 



2. Cymbocarpa. 



Char. Diff. Perianthium tubulosum, ovario adnatum, supernfe liberum : limbo 

 6-fido, laciniis tribus alternis minoribus. Stamina omnin6 Dictyostegce. 

 Stylus simplex. Stigma trilobum ; lohis gibboso-rotundatis, corniculis 

 2 subulatis erectis instructis. Ovarium gibboso-trigonum, uniloculare, 

 placentis tribus parietalibus. Capsula 1-locularis, latere unico ad angu- 

 lum superiorem tantilm dehiscens. Semina numerosissima, scobiformia; 

 testa reticulata nucleum vix superante. 



Char. Nat. Perianthium monophyllum, tubulosum, petaloideum, subgibbo- 

 sum, persistens, infernfe ovario adnatum, supern^ liberum, angustatum, 

 ore ampliato : limbo 6-diviso, laciniis erectis, insequalibus, 3 exterioribus 

 (sepalis) acutis, sinubus rotundatis, 3 interioribus (petalis) subunguicu- 

 latis, brevioribus, ovalibus. Stamina 3, omnin6 Dictyostega;. Stylus 

 rectus, tenuis, trigonus, persistens, longitudine staminum. Stigma tri- 

 lobum ; lobis gibboso-ovatis, divergentibus, utrinque appendice longo 

 subulato erecto incurvato auctis. Ovarium adhserens, subpyriforme, 

 inaequalit^r trigonum, apice libero conico, uniloculare, placentis tribus 

 parietalibus multi-ovulatis. Pericarpium capsulare, perianthio marces- 

 cente obtectum, oblongum, gibbosum, trigonum, angulis rotundatis, uni- 

 loculare, seminibus minutissimis e placentis tribus parietalibus radian- 

 tibus dens^ refertum, angulo superiore lacerato hians. Semina minuta, 

 oblonga, scobiformia, apice attenuata ; testa nudeo conformi, reticulata, 

 areolis elongatis angustissimis, costis vald^ prominulis ; funiculo tenui 

 ejusdem longitudinis. 



Plantee (brasilienses) rhizocarpce, radicejibrosd, caule simplici subjlexuoso erecto. 

 Folia sessilia, bractei/ormia, erecta, aut adpressa. Inflorescentia dichotome 



