188 ON THE PROTEACEiE OF JUSSIEU. 



in tlie style being deciduous, and perhaps also in the num- 

 ber and form of its seeds. If these are but two in number, 

 it would be still more nearly related to Orites ; but some- 

 thing in its whole appearance, and especially its uncom- 

 monly large bractese, indicates its being a distinct genus. 



According to Labillardiere, it is a native both of New 

 Caledonia and the south-west coast of New Holland : but 

 as I am acquainted with no plant of the order, which has 

 so wide a range as this, and as it may be presumed the 

 specimens from New Holland were very imperfect, other- 

 wise so remarkable a plant would surely have found a place 

 in the body of his work, I may be permitted to question 

 the accuracy of the statement. I confess however that I 

 know no plant of Lewins Land with which this could be 

 confounded. 



RouPALA J5^?^reafc. Lam. Illust. Gen. l,p. 243, n. 1282. 

 Poiret, Encyc. Botan. 6, p. 317. Budge, PI. Guian. 25, 

 t. 38. 



There can be little doubt of this plant constituting a dis- 

 tinct genus; but its fruit being entirely imknown, it is 

 better to place it among those which require a further ex- 

 amination. It was referred to Rhopala at a time when 

 that genus was not at all understood. In its compound 

 233] leaves, its irregular calyx, and even in some degree in 

 the glands subtending the ovarium, it seems to approach 

 more nearly to Gevuina ; and I am therefore inclined to 

 think its fruit will be found to be a drupa, and not a folli- 

 culus as that of Rhopala. The whole plant however is so 

 rema);kable, that I here add a description taken from an 

 excellent specimen, in Mr. Lambert's Herbarium, collected 

 by the unfortunate Martin in Guiana, where it seems to 

 have been first found by Richard. 



Frutecc ? v. Arbor. Bamuli teretes, tomento minuto 

 cinerascentes. Folia alterna, abrupte pinnata, 3-4-juga. 

 Foliola opposita, petiolata, late ovata, obtusa quandoque 

 acutiuscula, integerrima, glaberrima, super nitida, subter 

 fere opaca, venulis anastomozantibus paruifl emersis reticu- 

 lata : dum 3i uncias longa 2 uncias lata. Petioli partiales 



