116 BOTANT OF CONGO. 



found by Adanson at Senegal, and has moreover remarked 

 that their ovarium coheres with the tube of the calyx. In 

 that species most common at Sierra Leone, and v\^hich is 

 probably one of those examined by M. de Jnssieu, the 

 ovarium itself is certainly free, its pedicellus, hovs^ever, as 

 in the greater part of the genera of this order and several 

 of Csesalpinese, firmly cohering with the calyx, may ac- 

 count for the statement referred to. I am not, indeed, 

 acquainted with any instance among Dicotyledonous plants 

 of cohesion between a simple ovarium, which I consider 

 that of Chrysobalanese to be, and the tube of the calyx. 



The complete septum between the two ovula of Parina- 

 rium, existing before fecundation, is a peculiar structure in 

 a simple ovarium ; though in some degree analogous to the 

 moveable dessepiraent of Banksia and Dryandra, and to 

 the complete, but less regular, division of the cavity that 

 takes place after fecundation in some species of Persoonia.^ 



MELASTOMACEiE. Pour plants only of this order 

 occur in the collection. 



The first is a species of Tristemma, very nearly related 

 to T. hirtum of M. de Beauvois.^ 



«5] The second is perhaps not distinct from Melastoma 

 decumhens, of the same author.^ 



The third and fourth are new species referable to Bhexia, 

 as characterised by Ventenat,* though not to that genus as 

 established by Linnaeus ; and in some respects differing 

 from the species that have been since added to it, all of 

 which are natives of America. 



In the original species of Tristemma^ there are, in the 

 upper part of the tube of the calyx, two circular ciliated 

 membranous processes, from which the name of the genus 

 is derived ; the Hmb of the calyx itself being considered as 

 constituting the third circle. The two circular membranes 

 are also represented as complete in T. hirtum. 



But in the species from Congo, which may be named T. 



> Linn. Soc. Transact. 10, p. 35. = ^^^^^ d'Oware, 1 p. 94, t. 57. 



3 Op. cilat. 1, p. 69, t. 49. 



* Mem. de I'Institut. sc. phys. 1S07, prem. semest. p. 11. 



° Tristemma virusana, Vent. C/wix de Plantes, 35. 



