152 ON SOUTH-AMEEICAN APOCYNACE^. 



2. Rhaptocarpus didymtts, nob. : Echites didyma, Veil. I. c. p. 109j Icon. iii. tab. 27 ; A. DC. /. c. 

 p. 468 ; Miill. I. c. p. 155. In Brasilia, prov. Rio de Janeiro (VeUoz) : non vidi. 



This species, from Velloz's drawing, agrees with the preceding in its bifurcate in- 

 florescence, and in its capsular fruit. Its flexuose branches have axils 5 ia. apart; 

 leaves eUiptic-oblong, acute at both ends, 7-7| in. long, 3-3^ in. broad, on petioles 

 5 lines long; peduncle 2 in. long, its 2 branches 2 in. long, each bearing many approxi- 

 mate flowers towards the extremity ; the pedicels, bra,cteolate at the base, are 4-5 lines 

 long ; the acute sepals of the same length ; tube of corolla pale yellow, ventricose in 

 the middle, 5 lines long ; segments 5 lines long ; anthers exserted ; disk of 5 oblong 

 lobes; the compressed straight capsule is 10 in. long, bisulcate, and nearly J in. 

 broad. 



Rhaptocarpus coalitus, nob. : Echites coalita, Veil. I. c. p. 112, Icon. iii. tab. 40 ; A. DC. I. c. 

 p. 458 ; MiiU. (in parte) I.e. p. 155 (excl. tab. 50. fig. 4). In Brasilia, prov. Rio de Janeiro (Velloz) : 



A species closely allied to the two preceding. Its scandent branches have axils 3 in. 

 apart ; leaves ovate-oblong, rounded or obtuse at the base, subacute above, 3^-4 in. long, 

 1^-2 ia. broad, on petioles 3 hnes long ; raceme solitary and lateral in each node, 2 in. 

 long, bearing many approximate flowers from near its base, on pedicels 4-5 lines long ; 

 sepals acutely oblong, 4 lines long ; tube of yellow corolla 4 lines long, ventricose above, 

 and again constricted in the mouth ; segments subregular, 3 Hnes long ; anthers included ; 

 capsule siliquiform, subtorulose, pendulous, 7 in. long, 3 lines broad, bisulcate; seeds 

 acutely oblong, compressed, 5 lines long, with an apical coma 9 lines long. 



Miiller, without any knowledge beyond the description of Velloz, regarded this species 

 as identical with the Echites Vautherii A. DC. ; but the latter differs essentially in its 

 much smaller, more lanceolate leaves, glanduliferous at the base of the midrib and at 

 the axOs of the nerves, its more elongated racemes, and especially in its fruit. 



4. Rhaptocarpus Martii, nob. : Echites Martii, I. c. p. 153. In Brasilia, prov. Babia, ad Joazeivo : 



non vidi. 



A species with slender glabrous branches ; leaves lanceolate, acute at both ends, sub- 

 membranaceous, fuscous, with 5-6 pairs of immersed nerves, veinless, 2-3 in. long, 

 5-8 lines broad, on petioles 1-1^ line long ; axillary or terminal raceme ^If in. long, 

 on a short peduncle subglobose at the base, bearing 12-18 closely approximate flowers, 

 on pubescent pedicels 4-| Hnes long, supported by lanceolate bracts 2 lines long ; sepals 

 narrow-oblong, subobtuse, erect, half the length of the tube of the corolla, each with an 

 internal, broad, 3-5-denticulate scale ; corolla 9 lines long, with a fuscous, cylindrical, 

 hirsutulous tube, pubescent within, the segments shorter than it ; anthers glabrous ; 

 disk 5-lobed. 



MiiUer says this species is distinguished from his Echites coalita (non Veil.) by its 

 longer calyx, half the length of the tube of the corolla, its erect (not recurved) sepals. 

 By JEJ. coalita he refers to Gardner's plant from Crato (my R. apiculata). Prom the 



