160 2, ae 
MARCGRAVIA ompenzars. 
Climbing Marcgravia. i 
_ POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA—Nar. On. MARGRAVIACEE. 
Gen. Cuar.—Corolla monopetala, calyptriformis, integra secedens. Calya 
- quinquefidus, segmentis imbricatis basi subcaliculatis. Bacca sicca, oc- 
tolocularis. Semina pulpa nidulantia. a 
_Marcgravia wnbellata ; foliis sessilibus ovato-ellipticis acutis vix venosis, 
sterilium ramorum ovatis obtusis, pedunculis umbellatis saepe tuber- 
culosis, bracteis cuculliformibus.—DC. 
M. umbellata, Linn. Sp. Pl. p.'719.—Dr Cann. Prodr. v. i. p. 566-—JACQ. 
Amer. p. 156. t. 96.. | | , 
M. scandens, Brown, Jam. t. 26. 
This curious plant is frequent in the woods of Jamaica; and appears in 
such different forms, that it has been often mistaken for different plants, 
in the various stages of its growth. It is but a slender weakly climber 
at first, and, as it rises, throws out a few leaves, somewhat of the form 
of a heart, on both sides; these are sustained by very short footstalks, 
and stand always opposite to a number of slender radical fibres, where- 
by it sticks and grows to its supporter. By these means, the plant con- 
tinues its growth, until it gains the top, and lays its trunk more com- 
modiously over some of the larger branches of the tree; then it begins 
to strengthen, and casts out many slender, dependent, and subdivided 
branches from the upper parts. But as it increases at the top, the stem 
grows thicker, separates from the supporter, throws off its now useless 
leaves and roots, and appears a strong withy shrub, whose trunk is fre-~ 
_ quently no less than 4 or 5 inches in diameter. | | 
The ultimate and pendent branches are more or less tuberculated, terete, 
having alternate and distichous leaves, 3-5 inches in length, elliptical, 
rounded at the base, acute at the extremity, coriaceous, entire, more or 
less distinctly nerved, glabrous, on very short footstalks. 
Umbel simple, consisting of several pedicellate flowers, and in the centre 
from 3 to 5 abortive flowerstalks, which assume a remarkable form, 
clavate, much thickened, hollow, with an opening at the insertion upon 
the pedicels: often bearing a flower or an abortive bud near the extre- 
mity. Pedicels 2-3 inches long, thickened upwards, and more or less 
tuberculated on the upper side, curved upwards at the extremity. Ca- 
lyx of 5 rounded, short, imbricated, erect lobes, with 2 or 3 small scales 
at the base. Corolla of one piece, conical, obtuse, resembling the calyp- 
tra or rather the lid of some moss, but large, and of a coriaceous texture, 
so that it may very readily be mistaken, when it is in flower, for a cap- 
sule. Stamens inserted on the receptacle, and distinct to the base, 16 in 
number upon those flowers which I examined. Filaments subulate ; 
Anthers linear, oblong, 2-celled, opening anteriorly. Germen ovate, 
shortly but very obtusely attenuated, marked with vertical shallow striz, 
_ formed by the pressure of the. stamens. Style none. Stigma obtuse, 
slightly impressed in the centre. This germen has evidently 8 cells, 
the partitions scarcely meeting in the centre. Receptacle central, from 
which there diverge 8 plates, 2 of them passing into each cell, upon 
VOL. II. 
