150 ON SOTJTH-AMEETCAN APOCYNACE^. 



Aptotheca. 



This genus is proposed for a plant from Cuba, described by Grisebacb under the name 

 of Thyrscmthus corylifolia: — ^but which has an elongated 2-locular capsule, of the 

 shape and structure of that of RJia^ptoca/rpv^ odoriferus, an axillary, sessile, short, 

 spicately capitate head of very small subsessUe flowers ; 5 small sepals, each with a simple 

 acute internal scale ; a corolla with a tube about the length of the calyx, with oblong 

 segments somewhat longer, haying a sinistrorse convolution, little imbricated in sestiva- 

 tion ; 5 stamens upon slender filaments, seated at the base of the tube, and exserted 

 anthers slightly coherent ; no disk ; and a roundish 2-celled ovary. 



Aptotheca, nob. : Thyrsanthus, Griseb. in parte : Sepala 5, parva^ obtuse oblonga, intus squamula 

 acuta singulatim donata. Corolla tubus cylindricus, calycem snbsequans, fauce retrorsum pilosus, 

 membranaceus ; segmenta 5, obtuse oblonga, rotata, aestivatione paullo imbricata et sinistrorsum 

 convoluta. Stamina 5 ; filamenta filiformia, tubum sequantia, ad ejus basin inserta ; antheree 

 lineares, vix cohserentes, apice membrana lata acuta mxmitse, imo in furcas 2 parallelas obtusas 

 breves fissae. Discus nullus. Ovarium rotundatum, 2-loculare; stylus tenuis j clavuncula conice 

 oblonga, imo 5-lobulata; stigma breviter acute 2-lobum. Capsula elongata, utrinque sulcata, 

 2-loculajrisj dissepimento bilamellari septicide dehiscens, septis per medium longitudinaliter hiantibus, 

 marginibus introflexis et placentiferis ; semina plurima, linearia, compressa, raphe longitudinali 

 prominente signata, glabra, apice coma longiore coronata. 



Aptotheca corylifolia, nob. : Forsteronia corylifolia, Griseb. in Cat. PI. Cub. p. 171 (1856) : Thyr- 

 santhus corylifolius, Griseb. in PI. Wr. Cub. part. ii. 519 (1862). In Cuba: v. s. in herb. Mus. 

 Brit. Guantanamo (Wright 1664, in flora etfructv). 



A scandent plant, with slender, straight, glabrous branches, its axils being lJ-2 in. 

 apart ; leaves oval, rounded or subacute at the base, suddenly constricted at the apex 

 into a short acumen, thinly chartaceous, bright green above, opake, obsoletely puberu- 

 lous, sulcate and pilosulous along the midrib, with fine yellow nerves, paler beneath, 

 opake, costa, nerves, and veins prominent, pubescent, the axUs of the nerves bearded with 

 a tuft of white hairs, 2|-4| in. long, l|-2 in. broad, on slender pubescent petioles 2-3 lines 

 long. The inflorescence, 1| in, long, consists of numerous approximate small flowers, 

 agglomerated towards the summit, on pedicels J line long ; sepals acutely ovate, pale, 

 sparsely puberulous on both sides, each with an acute inner scale | line long ; tube of 

 sreddish corolla 1 line long, with a densely pilose ring in the throat ; segments obliquely 

 oblong, pilose in the middle on both sides, rotate, 1-^ line long; stamens with slender 

 filaments as long as the tube, and fixed at its base, 1 line long ; anthers the same length, 

 their summits subexserted ; ovary globose, pilose at the apex, | line long. Capsule 

 8 in. long, 3J lines broad, deeply 2-sulcate ; seeds many, 5 lines long, linear, flat, with 

 a linear prominent raphe ; apical coma yellow, 7 lines long. 



Grisebach considered this plant to be near Thyrscmthus spicatm. 



A drawing of the plant, and an analysis of its fruit and seeds, are given in Plate XXI. b. 



