CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
379 
apart, or more rarely so closely approximated as to be nearly 
opposite; the pedicels are 1^-2 lines long, and support a single 
flower, which is J line in diameter before expansion. 
61. Rhaptonema. 
The plant here described is a native of Madagascar, and the 
type of a new genus now proposed. It is a shrub of low growth, 
with straight, somewhat slender, tomentose branchlets, with 
oblong leaves having alternate nerves which anastomose every- 
where with one another at short intervals, making thus a large 
areolar network of veins which gives them a very peculiar ap- 
pearance ; they are subpilose above, sulcate dong the midrib, 
furnished beneath with a yellowish pubescence, the petiole being 
somewhat short and pubescent. The inflorescence is a raceme- 
like panicle, which springs from the axils of the young upper 
leaves, and is therefore almost terminal ; the somewhat slender 
rachis, which is covered with yellowish pubescence, is about half 
the length of the ordinary leaves, having rather distant, very short 
branches, with still shorter hranchlets, which bear from one to 
three flowers at their apex; the flower is small, consisting of 
nine equal spathulately linear sepals, rounded at their apex, in 
three alternate series; six petals, in two series, equal, rather 
more than half the length of the sepals, oblong, narrowing at 
each extremity, plane and glabrous; three stamens somewhat 
shorter than the petals, united for two-thirds of their length 
into a central column, leaving their extremities free, somewhat 
divaricated, broad, compressed, bearing two anther-cells at their 
apex inside, which are dorsally attached, collateral, separated by 
a narrow space, each opening introrsely by a longitudinal furrow. 
The genus agrees with Desmonema in its three monadelphous 
stamens, but differs in their anthers being quite introrse, in 
having nine equal sepals, in its more compound raceme, in the 
very distinct character of its leaves, and a completely dissimilar 
habit. It differs also from other genera with three monadel- 
phous stamens by the characters enumerated under Desmonema. 
Rhaptonema, nob. — Flores dioici. Masc. Sepala 9, in ordine 
ternario alternatim disposita, spathulato-oblonga, sequalia, 
membranacea, extus pilosa, intus glabra, sestivatione imbri- 
cata, demum rotatim expansa. Petala 6, biseriata, oblonga, 
subacuta, sepalis fere tertia parte breviora, plana, submem- 
branacea, glabra, nervo medio fusco signata. Stamina 3, mo- 
nadelpha, petalorum longitudine ; filamenta ultra medium in 
columnam centralem coalita, sursum libera, complanata, paulo 
3c2 
