ON SOUTH-AMEEICAN APOCYNACE^. 49 



broad, on channelled petioles 3-5 lines long ; raceme lateral at the axils, or seated in the 

 dichotomy of the branchlets, on a peduncle 7 lines long, bearing several alternate yellow 

 flowers on pedicels 8 lines long, with small bracts. The sepals are roundish oblong, very 

 imbricated, 2 lines long, each with 3-4 minute scales at the base; the corolla has a 

 cylindrical tube 6 lines long, fleshy and contracted at the mouth, shortly ventricose 

 below it, cylindrical along the middle, and enlarging a little towards the base ; the seg- 

 ments are fleshy at their base for a length of 3 lines, are erect in the bud ; but then the 

 remaining membranaceous portions, linear, obtuse, are suddenly introflexed, descending 

 into the tube, and there enveloping the upper half of the stamens ; they subsequently 

 expand in a rotate form, when they curve sinistrorsely, and are 4 lines long ; the stamens, 

 cohering, are fixed in the contraction of the tube and nearly reach the summit ; the 

 anthers, disk, style, and clavuncle as in the generic character. The 2 follicles, somewhat 

 spreading, are roundish oblong, inclined and wedge-shaped on the shorter edge, with a 

 raised curved ridge on each side, broadly convex on the ventral side, where they open by 

 a broad, gaping, sutural fissure, are 16 lines long, 9 lines broad ; the pericarp is thick, 

 coriaceous, smooth, each follicle enclosing many seeds ; the seeds are oblong, acute at 

 one extremity, rounded at the other, and are costately striated, with a hoUow channel on 

 one face, where they are attached to a pulpy or fleshy red funicle (arillus of Vahl), which 

 half envelops each seed. 



Prof. Miiller, as above cited, gives good analytical drawings of the flower, and a figure 

 of the follicle and seed. 



Var. ovalifolia: the leaves here are of an oval form, acute at the base, cuspidately 

 acuminate, the margins obsoletely crispated, very pallid green on both sides, 5j in. long 

 including the acumen (f in. long), 3j in. broad, on channelled petioles 4 lines long; 

 the inflorescence bears rather larger flowers. In Guiana (Schomb. 42 bis). 



A drawing of this species, and an analysis of its flower, its follicle, and seeds, are given 

 in Plate VI. B. 



2. BoNAFOusiA OBLiQUA, nob. : ramulis tenuibus, pallide brunneis, subsulcatis : foliis oppositis, in paribus 

 fere sequalibus, imo acutis, et hinc uno latere conspicue obliquis, apice ia acumen longiusculum 

 sensim attenuatis, submembranaceis vel cbartaceis, planis, marginibus revolutis ssepius integris, aut 

 raro obsolete undulatis, supra Isete viridibus, costa sulcata, nervis plurimis prominulis patentim 

 divaricatis, rectis, juxta marginem junctis, subtus flavescentibus, opacis, costa prominente, nervis 

 tenuibus prominulis, venis immersis ; petiolis brevibus, imo subf ossatis : racemo in dichotomiis 

 laterali, folio 6plo breviore, plurifloro, subhirsutulo j pedunqulo sub-4-gono; pedicellis crebre 

 altemis, corrugulatis, calyce 3plo longioribus; sepalis obtuse ovatis, imbricatis, subinsequalibus, 

 scabridulis ; coroUse tubo crassiuscuJo, cylindrico, superne et infra pauUo ampliore, intus sub faucem 

 constrictam puberulo, extus scabridulo, segmentis obtuse linearibus, pro tertia parte carnosulis, 

 rectis, pro reliquis duabus partibus in aestivations subito introflexis et intra faucem descendentibus, 

 demum rotatim explicatis, membranaceis, et purpurascentibus, sinistrorsum convolutis ; staminibus 

 in constrictione tubi ex anniilo piloso ortis, inclusis, antheris cohaerentibus, apice. acuminatis, imo 

 biaristatis; disco cylindrico, submembranaceo, ovariis 3 oblongatis breviore; stylo clavuncula et 

 stigmatibus ut in char. gen. : folliculis ignotis. In Venezuela australi : v. s. in herb, meo et Mus. 

 Brit. Rio Casiquiare (Spruce 3119, sub B. undulata). 



H 



