224 PENTANDRIA monogynia. Hamiltonia. 



servatory in that country for the preservation of the plants of a hot 

 climate. To this gentleman the botanic garden at Calcutta is 

 under the greatest obligation for having enriched it with many of 

 the choicest plants of the New World. 



Stem stout, shrubby ; brandies opposite, cross-armed, ascending. 

 JBarh of the ligneous parts ash-coloured, with dark purple specks; 

 geneiai height from six to ten feet. — Leaves opposite, short-petiol- 

 ed, broad-lanceolate, smooth, entire, froan three to six inches long. 



— Stipules or rather connecting membranes broad, ensiform. 



'Flowers sessile, in terminal corymbiform heads, on short, tricho- 

 tomous branchlets, numerous, pure white, and delightfully fragrant. 

 •—Bractes ensiform, villous; several surrounding each fascicle or 

 head of flowers, as well as intermixed amongst them. — Calyx su- 

 perior, five- cleft, permanent-, divisions subulate. — Corol one-petal- 

 led, funnel-shaped. Tube slender, widening a little towaids ihe 

 mouth. Border consisting of five, spreading, oblong divisions. — 

 Filaments': five, very short, inserted into the tube of the corol a lit- 

 tle within its mouth. Anthers half-erect, linear. — Germ inferior, 

 one-celled and containing five distinct chambers attached to the 

 bottom of the cell, which now, thick and succulent, become the net- 

 like aril of the ripe seed ; each chamber contains one ovulum at- 

 tached to its bottom. — Capsules ihe size of a pea, oblong, crowned 

 viith the calyx, one-celled, five-valved, opening from the apex. — Seeds 

 five when all come to maturity, which is very seldom the case, their 

 shape differing according to the number attached to the bottom of the 

 cell, each enveloped in a beautiful, dry, net-like aril. Integument sin» 

 gle, dark blackish-brown, friable. — Ferisperm in very small quantity, 

 indeed it may be called an inner integument. — Embryo conform to 

 the seed, erect; cotyledons two, cordate, foliaceous, with a doub- 

 ling down the middle. Plumu la -minute. Radicle oblong, infe- 

 rior, pointing to the umbilicus.— Compare with Vsathura, Gaert, 

 carp. iii. 83. t. 194. 



