ON SOUTH-AMEEICAN APOCYNACE^. 33 



significant fact determines the nature of the pulpy substance that partially envelops the 

 seeds in all the Taberncefnontanece, and which has been erroneously regarded as an 

 arillus. 



Peschiera, a. DC. : Taberncsmontana (in parte) auct. : Sepala 5, subimbricata, subparva, ssepius lanceo- 

 lataj submembranacea, intus squamula basali plurilacinulata munitis : corolla hypocrateriformis ; 

 tubus anguste eylindricus, imo pauUo inflatus et staminigerus ; segmenta dolabriformia tubo triple 

 breviora, aestivatione simpliciter sinistrorsiim convoluta. Stamina gracillime elongata; filamenta 

 tenuia, circa basin tubi inserta ; antherte conniventeSj fere libersBj apice cuspidatsEj imo tenuiter 

 biaristatse.. Discus nullus. Ovaria 2, oblonga, usque ad basin libera. Stylus brevis, filiformis : 

 clavuncula incrassata, cylindrice 5-angulata, apice breviter 5-dentataj glandulis 10 linearibus signata, 

 basi membrana lacerata suffulta. Stigmata 2, terminalia, breviter subulata. Folliculi 2, divaricati, 

 ovati vel oblongi, rarius rostrati, undique crebre muricati, vel aspere granosi, sutura ventrali late 

 hiantes, sutura utrinque inflexa et placentifera. Semina plurima, compresse obovata, dorso parallele 

 costata, ventre profunda canaliculata, marginibus elevatis sensim evanescentibus, et medium versus 

 hilo oblongo signato, superne planata et chalaza parva fusca notata : testa pergaminea : integumen- 

 tum internum tenuissimum, coalitum. Albumen conformCj carnoso-corneum. Embryo heterotropus, 

 asquilongus : cotyledones 2, ovatij tenuissime foliaceij adpressi ; radicula supera, sequilonga, teres, 

 obtusa. Funiculus crassus, moUiter carnosus, coloratus, testa duplo longior, hinc ad placentam 

 ligatus, illinc ad hilum afiixus, et hoc modo semina laxataj mox in. acre biserialiter suspensa. 



Suffrutices America intertropiccs, debiles, ramosi ; ramuli teretes, dichotdmi, ad nodos annulati ; folia 

 elliptica vel lanceolata, breviter petiolata ; paniculse subdxillares, scepius multidivisoe, rarius de- 

 pauper atce; flores submediocres, albi, aut scepius flavi. 



1. Peschiera echinata, A. DC. viii. 360: Taberncsmontana echinata, Aubl. PI. Guian. i. 263, tab. 103. 



In Guiana (wow vidi). 



A small lactescent tree, with several erect stems 4-5 feet long, with slender di- 

 chotomous branches, annulated where the leaves have fallen off; opposite elliptic 

 leaves, acute at the base, subacuminated, with undulated margins, green above, glabrous, 

 with about 16 pairs of approximated ascending nerves, below covered with a slight 

 white tomentum, 6J in. long, 2^ in. broad, on petioles 2 lines long, conjoined across the 

 node by a transverse ridge ; panicles in the terminal axils, f in. long ; peduncles as 

 long as the petioles, bearing about 6 flowers on bracteolated pedicels 2-3 lines long ; 

 sepals acute, 2 lines long ; tube of corolla 4 lines long, with shorter segments, all spotted 

 with red; stamens inserted near the base of the tube on a pubescent ring; 2 small 

 divaricated subreniform follicles densely muricated, f in. long, f in. broad. 



2. Peschiera hystrix, A. DC. Prodr. viii. 360 : Tabernamontana hystrix, Steud. Nom. p. 658 : TaberncR' 



montana echinata, Veil, (non Aubl.) Fl. Flum. p. 105 ; Ic. iii. tab. 17 : Tabemamontana bracteo- 

 laris, Miill. Fl. Bras. fasc. 36, p. 83 ; op. cit. fasc. 40, p. 184, tab. 54. fig. 3. In prov. Rio de Janeiro : 

 V. v. et sice, in hb. meo (n. 2971), in flora ad Engenho d'agua, circa Lago de Jacarepagua. 



This specimen corresponds with the drawing of Velloz, who found the plant in about 

 the same locality, near the southern shore of the metropolitan province. The branchlets 

 are thick, fistulous, rugously striated, pale and opake, the lower portions, where the 

 leaves have fallen off, being annulated at the axils, which are about | in. apart : the 

 leaves are elliptic-oblong, somewhat acute at the base, obtuse towards the summit, with 



p 



