546 Observations on some new 



compressiim, membranaceum, sublacerum. Carpella (ovariis plurimis 

 abortientibus) sicco-drupacea, breviter stipitata, ovoidea, compres- 

 siuscula, apice obliqua, unilocularia. Semen unicum, pendulum. 

 " Alhimeii magnum, carnosum, baud ruminatum. Embryo minu- 

 tus, in regione hili situs." {Wight.) 



Frutex magnus, glaber, Ccylanicus. Folia apposita, exstipulata, 

 peiiolala, oblongo-lanceolala, utrinqiie acuminata, integerrima, pen- 

 vinervia, subtus retictilata, ejninciata. Cymi pedunculati, axillares, 

 oppositi, petiolo longiores. Inv oiucx'i yoiiola exteriora, atque pedi- 

 celli raimilique jimiores minutim ac sparsim stellato-puberuli. Flo- 

 res pallide jiavi. 



1. H.Jloribimda; Wight, Cat. n. 2467. 



Hab. — In sylvis editioribus insulae Ceylani, prope Newere Ellia, 

 Wight. 



'' I dedicate this genus to Lady Horton, on account of the lively 

 interest she takes in botany, and her extensive knowledge of Cey- 

 lon plants. It appears to hold a place intermediate between Mag- 

 noliacese and Anonaceee,* having the numerous petals and large albu- 

 men, with minute embryo of the former, and extrorse anthers and 

 distinct carpels of the latter, differing from both in its opposite and 

 axillary inflorescence." ( Wight in lilt.) Dr Wight remarks, that 

 there are 8-10 stamens, and numerous petals in several rows, 8-10 

 in each. I have, however, in no instance, observed more than seven 

 stamens, and as for the petals or leaves of the perianth, there are 

 not two situated in the same plane, all forming a dense spiral of se- 

 veral rows at the apex of the pedicel. I therefore consider the sup- 

 posed floral covering more in the light of an involucre, and in this 

 way Hoftonia will obviously approach the Monimiacese. From these 

 it differs principally by the imbricated aestivation, and definite sta- 

 mens placed in a single series around the ovaria, and neither insert- 

 ed into the tube of the involucre, but upon a flat receptacle or di- 

 lated apex of the pedicel. All the anthers which I have examined 



* Belonging to the natural order Schizandraceae, which does hold this interme- 

 diate place, I have received from Dr Wight, collected in Ceylon and Malabar 

 (in 1836,) a species of Kadsura, differing only from the character of that genus, 

 as limited by Blume, by having three ovules in each ovarium -. it is IC Wightiana 

 (Arn.) dioica, foliis obliquis ovalibus obtuse acuminatis supra medium denticula- 

 tis, pedunculis axillaribus femineis petiolo longioribus calyce (seu perianthio) 

 12-phyllo sub 4-seriali, filamentis discretis, ovariis 3-ovulatis, stigmate obliquo 

 planiusculo ovato subpeltato, carpellis suborbicularibus obtusis mucronulatis — 

 Wight, Cat. n. 2478 — Pauslowia, Wight in litt. 



DifFert a K. Roxburghiuna (qute K. Japonica, Wall., K. altera species a Du- 

 nalis memorata, et Uvaria heterodita, Roxb.) antheris baud immersis et ovario ; a 

 K. Japonica, Kaempf., si fidem descriptioni Thunbergiano ponas, plurimis notis. 



