ON SOUTH-AMHEICAN APOCYNACE^, 151 



Rhaptocarpus*. 



This genus is proposed for some anomalous species of Uchites, distinguished by their 

 bUocular elongated capsular fruit, like two follicles agglutinated together, as in Prestoma, 

 the seeds being crowned by a long coma. The floral characters are derived from the 

 examination of a plant of Weir's collection, specifically identical with one figured by 

 Velloz in the ' Plora Fluminensis ;' but I have not seen the fruit. 



Rhaptocarpus, nob. : Sepala 5, acuta, submembranacea, imo in cupulam brevem crasse gibbosam con- 

 nata, singula squama lata, ad medium in lacinias 4 obtusas fissaintus donata. Corolla tubulosa; tubus 

 sepalis 2plo longior, ventricosus, fauce constrictus, undique nudus ; segmenta 5, oblique dolabri- 

 formia, pro tertia parte tubo longiora, sestivatione simpliciter dextrorsum convoluta. Stamina 5, 

 fauce inclusa; filamenta brevissima, glabra; anther ce in conum conniventes, vix exsertse, imo 

 breviter bilobse, apice acuminatse. Discus 5-lobus, lobis carnosis obtusis, ovario subbrevior. Ovarium 

 oblongum, 2-loculare. Stylus tenuis, tubo corollse paullo brevior; clavuncula crasse oblonga, imo 

 annulata, 5-sulcata ; stigma breviter bilobum. Capsula elongata, tereti-cylindrica, utrinque sulcata, 

 2-locularis, dissepimento bilamellari per sulcos septicide debiscens, septis medio longitudinaliter 

 hiantibus, marginibus introflexis et placentaribus. Semina plurima, fiasiformia, eompressa, dorso 

 costata ; coma ampla, erecta, 2plo longior. 



Frutices Brasilienses scandentes : folia opposita, ovata, breviter petiolata ; inflorescentia in quoque 

 nodo solitaria, lateralis ; pedunculus bifissus, ramulis longiusculis , spicatim plurifloris. 



1. Rhaptocarpus odoriferous, nob.: Echites odorifera, Veil. Fl. Flum. i. 109; Icon. iii. tab. 28; 

 A. DC. Prodr. viii. 468 ; Miill. I. c. p. 156. In Brasilia : v. s. in herb. Soc. Reg. Hort. et meo in 

 flore, prov. S. Paulo (Weir 474). 



The specimen above quoted agrees perfectly with the drawing of Velloz. It is a 

 scandent plant, with flexuose, fistulose, fuscous branches, sparsely covered with short 

 reddish hairs, with axils 3 in. apart ; leaves ovate-oblong, rounded and subcordate at the 

 base, gradually narrower upwards, and mucronately acuminate, with retuse subrevolute 

 margias, subchartaceous, above fuscous, opake, granular and sparsely pilose, especially 

 on the immersed nerves, beneath ferruginous, opake, finely granulate, obsoletely pubes- 

 cent, with darker prominent subpilose nerves, 3j-4 in. long, l|-2i in. broad, on stout 

 petioles 1| line long ; inflorescence lateral at the nodes, elongated, ferruginously velu- 

 tinous, on a peduncle 1^ in. long ; its 2 floriferous branches 2^ in. long, each bearing 

 about 12 alternate pedicellate flowers; pedicels 6-7 lines long, with a slender linear 

 bract 1 J line long ; sepals narrow, acuminate, 2 lines long ; tubfe of corolla glabrous, 

 red, 8 lines long, membranaceous, ventricose, contracted for 2 lines below the mouth ; 

 seo-ments red, whitish at the top, dolabriform, 4 lines long and broad ; anthers 3 lines 

 long, included ; disk 2 lines long ; capsule, according to VeUoz, 11 in. long, i in. broad, 

 pendulous. 



A drawing of this plant, and an analysis of its flower, fruit, and seeds, are shown in 



Plate XXI. A. 



* From paTTTia (consuo), Kaptrbs (fructus), because tlie elongated capsule resembles two confluent follicles. 



