893 
TETRANTHERA laurifolia. 
Laurel-leaved Tetranthera. 
Nea 
ENNEANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. Laurin. Br, prodr. 
TETRANTHERA Jacg.—Flores divici. Involucrum umbelle, 4-5 phyl- 
lum, deciduum. Perianthium limbo 4-6 partito v. nullo.—Masc. Stamina 
6-15. Anthere 4-loculares. Glandule ad basin filamentorum interiorum, 
Rudimentum pistilliit—Fem. Glandule staminaque sterilia. Stigma dila- 
tatum, sublobatum. Bacca nuda. Br. prodr. 403. 
T. laurifolia; foliis obovatis oblongis petiolatis supra glabris, petiolo piloso, 
involucris tetraphyllis tomentosis. © 
Tetranthera laurifolia. Jacg. Schinb. 1. t. 113. Smith in Rees in loco. 
Tomex tetranthera. . Willd. sp. pl. 2.839. 
Litsea tetranthera, Pers. syn. 2.4. zm 
Obs. Tomex sebifera Willd. et Litsea chinensis Lamarckii a T. laurifolia 
differunt, ut aiunt, floribus asepalis. Herbario nostro tres adsunt ramuli, quo- 
rum unus ex horto Calcuttense sub nomine Litsee chinensis missus est, alter e 
Mauritio, tertius Guyand; horum prior 3-5 sepalus, alteri plane asepalt ; 
nullo alio signo distinguendi. Anne igitur he species eedem? Characteres 
dutorum nulla signa ostendunt quibus separande sunt. 3 
‘That the subject of this article is the Tetranthera lauri-~ 
folia of Jacquin, there can, we think, be no reason to doubt. 
Whether it is not also the Tomex sebifera of Willdenow, and 
the Litsea chinensis of Lamarck, may also be worthy of con- 
sideration. In the specific characters which have been as- 
signed to the last-mentioned species by authors, we confess 
we can detect no differences beyond that of their being ase- 
palous, by which they can be divided from T. laurifolia; 
between themselves we perceive no distinction whatever. 
We are unable to tell what value may be attached to the 
absence or presence of sepals in these plants, but the 
importance of such a character appears at most to be 
doubtful. The divisions of the perianthium, or the petals 
as they have been incorrectly called, are deciduous, and 
easily overlooked in dried, and, perhaps, imperfect speci- 
mens. We have in our own possession three branches 
of what appear to be of the same species, of which one was 
