CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
85 
which often varies in the same species, it is probable that better 
and more valid characters may be found in the inflorescence. 
The outline of generic features here offered is founded wholly on 
my own observation. 
Stemonurus, B1. Lasianthera, Pal. Beauv. Gomphandra, Wall. 
— Flores hermaphroditi vel abortu polygami. Calyx parvus, 
brevissime cupularis, limbo fere integro, 4-5 -denticulate, vel 
4-5-fido, immutatus et persistens. Petala 4-5, hypogyna, ob- 
longa, carnosa, summo marginibus mucroneque apicali pro- 
pendenti inflexis, sestivatione valvata, libera, vel interdum mar- 
ginibus imo cohserentibus, simulque cum filamentis adhaesis 
in tubum cylindi'aceum sic leviter agglutinatis, e medio liberis 
et reflexis. Stamina 4-5, cum petalis inserta, iisdem alterna ; 
filamenta ssepe aucta et denium exserta, crasso-carnosa, lata, 
compressa, incurvula, summo truncate ac breviter repente 
acute, carinaque interna mediana, pilis longis albidis apice 
clavatis munita j anthei'ce istis sequilatae, ovatae, introrsae, plus 
minusve cordatae, 2-lobae, lobis singulatim 2-locellatis demum 
septicidis et longitudinaliter evolutim debiscentibus. Pollen 
acute 3-gonum. Ovarium globoso-conicum, 4-5-sulcatum, 
disco parvo insitum, glandula crassa sub-annulari aut sub- 
lobata coronatum, saepissime sterili, quandoque fertili et tunc 
cito multoties elongatum et cylindricum, 1-loculare, ovula 2 
anatropa juxta apicem loculi subcollaterabter superposita, 
podospei’mio crasso suspensa. Stylus brevissimus, conicus, 
4-5-sulcatus, summo cavus, dentibusque 4-5 erectis stigma- 
tosis terminatus, et simul cum glandula (in ovario feiflili) in 
discum magnum ])ulviuatum sub-lobatum epigynum demum 
auctus. Drupa oblonga, parcissime carnosa, olivaeformis, in- 
terdum elongata, monopjuena, calyce persistente suffulta, et 
pulvino coronata : putamen lignosum, ovato-oblongum, dorse 
convexius, uniloculare, monospermum, ad faciem ventralem 
planiuscidam infra apicem foramine parvo (loculo attingente) 
perforatum, bine extus fere ad imum longitudinaliter profunde 
canaliculatum, illinc usque ad fundum introitu diagonali (loculo 
evitante) pertusum. Semen conforme, funiculo infra apicem 
loculi suspensum ; funiculus crassus, fibrosus, e rapheo dorsali 
ortus, per foramen apicale loculi trajectus, tunc canalem 
externum pervadens, et introitum basalem penetrans, denique 
in tore amissus ; testa submembranacea, cum integumento 
interne cohserens ; raphe hippocrepicus in faciem dorsalem 
testae immersus, primum ex apice versus latus fere ad imum 
decurrens, bine repente deflexus, per latus adversum fere ad 
apicem accurrens, et in carunculam apicalem desitus. Embryo 
inversus, rectus, cotyledonibus magnis, cordatis, textura tenuis- 
