ON SOUTH-AMEEICAN APOCYNACE^. 71 



7. Rhigospira TERNSTEffiMiACEA, nob. : Tabenuanontana (?) temstrmmiacea, Miill. l. c. p. 88. In Ama- 

 zonas : v. s. in herb, meo San Carlos, Rio Negro (Spruce 3035) . 



A very peculiar plant, wMch from its compact habit, its large rigid leaves, its dense 

 ilowers and larger sepals than usual, might lead to a supposition of its being the type of 

 a distinct genus, as indeed MuUer intimated ; but these features ought only to be regarded 

 as extreme manifestations of the normal characters of Bhigospira. The branch, 4 lines 

 thick, is covered by a fuscous pruinose bark, marked by numerous raised longitudinal 

 ridges connected by transverse muriform lines ; and this is lined inside with a stratum 

 of wood ^ line thick, leaving the centre broadly fistulose ; the axils are rather close and 

 somewhat dilated; leaves spreading, ovate oblong, suddenly acute upon the petiole, 

 rounded at the summit, thickly coriaceous, very glabrous, with revolute margins, midrib 

 broad and carinate, prominent spreading nerves that terminate in the margin, immersed 

 transverse reticulated veins, yellowish opake beneath, with prominent midrib and nerves, 

 6-9 in. long, 3-5 in. broad, on stout curving petioles 6-9 lines long, which are deeply 

 fossate within a hooded elevation, and conjoined across the node by a transverse ridge ; 

 panicle lateral, 2 in. long, with a congested head of flowers upon a bare deflected 

 peduncle 9 lines long, supporting several short branches, each bearing 3-5 flowers on 

 crowded, bracteolated, short, angular pedicels 1 line long, the bracts 4 lines long, 2 lines 

 broad, adpressed, coriaceous ; sepals 5, linear oblong, fuscous red, subcoriaceous, erectj^ 

 very imbricated, unequal, 4-5 lines long, 2-2^ lines broad, the two exterior shortest, 

 margin pale and undulated, each with very numerous, small, lanceolate scales, in 2 series, 

 within at the base; tube of corolla not quite developed, cylindrical, angular, fleshy, 

 shortly and suddenly broadened at the base, 7 lines long ; segments oblong, fleshy, sub- 

 inequilateral, 7 lines long, 3 lines broad, erect, and sinistrorsely convoluted in aestivation ; 

 stamens inserted upon the basal constriction of the tabe, IJ line longj, acuminate,, 

 obtusely cordate at the base, upon short filaments ; disk annular, free, crenate on the 

 margin, half as long as the 2 oblong, pointed, glabrous ovaries. 



Phbissocakpus. 



A genus proposed for a plant from the Rio Negro, with thick, angular, fistulose 

 branches, and rigid coriaceous leaves on short broad petioles deeply and hoodingly 

 fossate at the base, a short lateral inflorescence, with flowers much resembling those of 

 Anacampta, but differing in. its follicles, which are muricated, as in FescUera. 



Phrissocarpus, nob. : Tabernamontane sp., Miill. Sepala 5, subparva, obtuse ovata, crassa, margine 

 membranaceo ciliata, imbricata, singulatim squamula trifida intus munita. Corolla tubulosa ; tubus 

 cylindricus, ad medium angustior ; segmenta triplo breviora, dolabriformia, intus puberula, in sestiva- 

 tione simpliciter sinistrorsum convoluta. Stamina ad annulum retrorse pilosum in constrictionem 

 tubi insita, inclusa ; filamenta brevissima, retrorse pilosa ; antherm lineares, acuminatse, conniventes, 

 imo acute breviter bifurcatse. Discus tubulosus, margine ciliatus, liber. Ovaria 2, conice oblonga, 

 quam discus 2plo longiora. Stylus simplex, stamina attingens ;' clavuncula incrassata, cylindrica, imo 

 membrana peltata donata. Stigmata 3, subulata, terminalia. FoUiculi 2, semiovati, crebre ecHnati ; 



