CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
135 
floriferous branch is 3 inches long, its lower peltate leaves, on 
long petioles, are 4 to 8 lines in diam., the panicles in their axils 
are 8 lines long, which diminish gradually upwards. The ? 
racemes are 4 to 6 inches long, the inferior peltate flowerless 
leaflets are 5 to 9 lines in diam., the imbricated bracts, 3 to 8 lines 
in diam., becoming gradually smaller, are cordate at base, with a 
petiolule 2 to 6 lines long palately fixed ; the flowers and pedicels 
are 2 lines long. 
I may here remark that St. Hilaire attributes to this species an 
herbaceous stem ; but I can speak with confidence that the plants 
I found growing in the Organ Mountains have scandent branches, 
which are ligneous and tough. I did not see the main stems, 
which are probably more solid ; but the young branches, scarcely 
exceeding ^ of an inch in thickness, exhibit the wedge-shaped 
ligneous masses interrupted by the radiating medullary rays, in 
accordance with the ordinary structure of the first year’s wood of 
the Menispermacea. 
3. Cissampelos grandifolia, Tr. & PI. Ann. Sc. Nat. 4 ser. xvii. 
p.44'; — C.7a.i'eira,Eichl. [nonLinn.) /.c.p. 189; — ramulis stria- 
tis, puberulis, demum glabris ; foliis profunde peltatis, amplis, 
orbiculatis, imo truncatis, apice subacutis vel obtusis, mucro- 
nulatis, marginibus crenato-subsinuatis, 12-nerviis, submem- 
branaceis, junioribus pube grisea adpressa subsericea indutis, 
adultis supra glabratis aut in nervis tantum subpuberibus, sub- 
tus thallassino-glaucis et subpubescentibus ; petiolo elongato, 
reflexo, limbo multo longiore,valde striato, glabro; inflorescentia 
^ supra-axillari, e ramulo novello aphyllo valde elongato, hinc 
racemiformi; rachi gracili, puberula, petiolo longiore; bracteis 
e foliolis parvis petiolulatisovatissursum evanidis utrinque sicut 
flores sericeo-pubescentibus ; paniculis in axillis 3-4, fascicu- 
latis, brevibus, alternatim ramosis, ramis flores pedicellatos 
circiter 12 umbellatim gerentibus, petalis obovatis, pallide 
membranaceis, extus pilosis, petalo cyathiformi, valde depresso, 
glabro, anthera 4-loba : racemo $ axillai’i, petiolum subae- 
quante, obsolete pubescente, pallido, alternatim ramoso, ax- 
illellis remotiusculis bracteam parvam, flores 3-5 fasciculatos 
breviter pedicellatos ramulumque longiusculum apice 3-5-flo- 
rum simul emittentibus, ramis sursum gradatim brevioribus et 
tandem evanescentibus ; sepalo obovato ; ovario dense piloso ; 
drupis parvis, subglabris. — In Nova Granada: v. s. in herb. 
Hook. ^ , Maumer, Sta. P. R. R. (Hayes, 168) ; ? , La Paila, 
(Holton, 667). 
This is one of the most conspicuous species of the genus, nearly 
allied to the two preceding in its deeply peltate orbicular leaves, 
but distinguished by their much larger size and by the very 
