ON SOUTH-AMERICAN APOCTNACEiE. 107 



base, with a long, gradually acute summit, 3^-5 in. long, |-1| in. broad, on spreading 

 petioles 2 lines long ; panicles terminal, thyrsoid, 4 in. long, 1 in. broad, witb several 

 opposite divergent branchlets 2-3 lines apart, 1 in. long, shortening upwards, again 

 branching, each branchlet bearing about 6 alternate flowers, on pedicels ^ line long; 

 flowers 2 lines long ; segments of border puberulous inside. 



The Thyrsanthm sericeus of Sagot is referred by Bentham and Hooker (Gen. ii. 707) 

 to Geissosperimim. 



B/OBBTA. 



This genus was first established by Prof. De CandoUe in 1844, upon a Brazilian plant 

 which had been previously noticed by Martins as a species of Taberncsmontana. The 

 genus was clearly defined by De CandoUe, and well figured by Delessert, who added to 

 it analytical details of the structure of the flower and the seed; but notwithstanding 

 this. Dr. MiiUer ignored the genus, wrongly regarding the typical plant as a species of 

 Malouetia. 



I have here added another species ; but I will first correct a few errors in the recorded 

 details. De CandoUe attributes to the segments of the corolla a sinistrorse convolution ; 

 but I have found this to be dextrorse, as is correctly shown in the analysis of Delessert. 

 In this analysis there is an omission of the 5 scales which close the mouth of the corolla, 

 which De CandoUe rightly mentions. These scales are placed opposite to the segments, 

 are rounded, fleshy, ciliated on their margins, and united in an annular ring. The 

 anthers are enclosed for three fourths of their length within the tube, where they appear 

 almost sessUe ; but their long filaments are agglutinated to the tube, where they form 

 5 ridges covered by retrorse white hairs ; upon the back of the anthers may be seen a 

 line of rigid hairs. I found also the tube of the corolla puberulous within, towards its 

 base. I remarked also that the inner integument of the seed is distinct, though adhering 

 to the testa, and that the embryo is enveloped in thin albumen. 



1. BoBBiA CESTRoiDEs, A. DC. I. c. p. 445; Deless. Icon. v. 33, tab. 52: Malouetia cestroides, Miill. 

 I. c. p. 94, tab. 29. fig. 2 : Tabernoemontana cestroides, Nees et Mart. Nov. Act. xi. p. 83. In prov. 

 Bahia et Ilheos (Blanchet 1578 et 1738) : v. s. in hb. Mus. Brit. 



This species certainly does not belong to Malouetia. It is a glabrous shrub, 6 feet 

 high, with slender dichotomous branches, its axils being 1^-2 in. apart ; leaves elliptic 

 or lanceolate oblong, acute at both ends, terminated by a short obtuse acumen, sub- 

 membranaceous, very glabrous, pale green above, with very fine, semi-immersed, eglan- 

 dulous nerves and reticulated veins, ochraceous opake beneath, with reddish prominulent 

 midrib and nerves, li-2f in. long, 7-9 lines broad, on slender petioles 3 lines long; 

 panicles in the opposite axils, with fasciculate flowers borne on a peduncle scarcely 

 1 line long ; pedicels slender, 4-5 lines long, with a smaU basal braoteole ; sepals sub- 

 acute, ^ Une long; tube of corolla gradually swelling downwards, narrower upwards, 

 with 5 small glands in the throat, it is 3 lines long, including the short campanular 

 expansion of the throat ; segments linear oblong, acute, 6 Hnes long, simply and dex- 



p2 



