Lecainnea.] ri.oilA indica. 313 



botanical investigation. The floral characters, and even the fruit of Secaisnea, es- 

 tablish in the clearest manner its close affinity to Stauntonia and Lardizabala, while 

 the more normal arrangement of its ovnles and seeds constitutes a remariable transi- 

 tion from their abnormal insertion in these genera to the ordinary mode of placenta- 

 tion. 



The ripe fruit is entirely filled with a cellular pulp, which is developed from the 

 growing walls of the whole - surface of the pericarp, and forms a complete homoge- 

 neous mass, leaving no cavity anywhere. This is firmly attached to the seeds all 

 round, but we cannot find that the adhesion is organic, except at the hilum, where 

 there is a broad organic attachment between the testa and pulp. Vessels originating 

 from all parts of the sui'face of the pericarp ramify through the pulp, but do not 

 meet in the a.tis of the fruit. This structure is very different from that of Holl- 

 bollia, in which the ovules are imbedded in cavities of the walls of the ovary, and the 

 seeds are consequently included in separate loculi of the walls of the pericarp, and in 

 which the pulpy septa do not meet in the axis, nor contract any adhesion with the 

 surface of the testa. Torrey describes the arillus of PodophjUum, a genus allied 

 to Lardizahalece in several important characters, as a pulpy expansion of the very 

 broad placenta, filling the cavity of the fruit, and enveloping the seeds, but not 

 contracting any further adhesion with the walla of the pericarp ; this is a third mo- 

 dification of the development of pulp which is only partially comparable with the 

 two described. 



The genus Becaisnea is even more interesting on account of its peculiar habit 

 than its placeutation. It is erect and nearly simple, resembliog at first sight one 

 of the shrubby Araliacem which are so characteristic of the humid forests of the 

 eastern Himalaya. The soft stem, with large pith, and the very large pinnated 

 leaves, which disarticulate between each pair of leaflets, increase this resemblance, 

 which is another curious instance of the analogy in general aspect between Araliacecs 

 and TJmbellifera, on the one hand, and the group of Jpocarpous Thalamiflorce on 

 the other, long ago indicated by Lindley. 



1. D.insignis (H.f. et T. in Proc. Linn. Soc. ii. Dec. 1854).— 

 Slackia insignis, Oriffith, Itin. Notes, 187, No. 977 {non ejmdem in 

 Palm. Bot. Ind. 161). 



Hab. In Himalaya oi-ientali interiori temperata, alt. 6-10,000 ped. ; 

 Sikkim ! Bhotan, Grijiik .'—(¥1. Mai.; fr. Oct.) (v. v.) 



Frutex erectus, robustus, subsimplex, meduUa crassissima, apieem versus carno- 

 sulua, herbaeeus, foliosus, glaber. FoJia altenia, patentia, imparipinnata, 3-3-pe- 

 dalia, petiole cylindrico subangulato striate, supeme non sulcato, basi articulate. 

 Foliola opposita, 6-8-juga, ovata vel ovato-lanceolata, plerumque longe acuminata, 

 3-5 poll, longa, 1^-3 lata, basi acuta, petiolulo i-i-poll., submembranacea, subtus 

 glauca, secus costam nervosque sparse puberula, demum glabrata. Racemi plures, 

 terminales vel laterales, elongati, fere pedales, multiflori, erecto-patentes. Bractem 

 minuta;, subulatse, eito deciduse. Fedunculi graciles, pollicares, flores longitudine 

 sequantes. Sepala lineari-laneeolata, longissima, anguatata, tenuiter membranacea 

 (in vivo subcarnosa), multinervosa, tenuiter puberula. FolliouH 3 poll, longi, diam. 

 f-poll., cylindrici, divaricati, recurvi, utrinque obtusi, irregulariter rugosi, sutura ven- 

 traU dehiscentes, crasse coriacei, pulpa solida dulci repleti. Semina circa 40, placen- 

 tis binis paidlo intra foUiculi margines sitia a sutura i vel i poll, distantibus inserta, 

 obovato-ovalia, compressa, pulpo nidulantia. Testa fragilis, basi suboblique hili 

 cicatrice liueari-oblonga notata, intus rhaphe marginali pericarpio aversa percursa ; 

 chalasa apicalis ; endospermium tenue ; albumen flavum, carnosum, oleosum ; embryo 

 albus ; radicula hilo versa. 



The fruit of this speojes, which is eaten by the Lepchas of Sikkim, is very pala- 

 table, and might probably be improved by cidtivaliou. 



