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♦  NOTE  ON  NECTANDRA  PUCHURY,  ETC. 
Nectandra  Puchury -Major,  Nees,  Laurin.  Laurus  Pichurim, 
Richard,  pere.  Oeotea  Pichurim,  Kunth.  0.  Puchury  Major, 
Martius.    Nat.  Ord.  Lauracese. 
Gen.  Char. — Hermaphrodite.  Calyx,  6-parted,  rotate ;  seg- 
ments deciduous,  the  three  outer  rather  the  broadest.  Anthers  9, 
ovate  nearly  sessile,  with  four  cells  arranged  in  a  curve,  and  distinct 
from  the  tip  of  the  anther  ;  cells  of  the  interior  anthers  inverted. 
Glands  in  pairs,  globose,  sessile,  at  the  base  of  the  three  interior 
stamens,  next  their  back.  Sterile  stamens  either  tooth-shaped 
and  biglandular  at  the  base  or  eglandular,  and  then  with  a  small 
oval  head.  Fruit  succulent,  more  or  less  immersed  in  the  tube 
of  the  calyx,  changed  into  a  truncated  cap.  Flowers  panicled  or 
corymbose,  axillary,  lax,  pretty  ample.  Lindley. 
Sp.  Char  Leaves  oblong  or  elliptical,  tapering  to  a  narrow 
point,  between  papery  and  leathery,  smooth,  reticulated,  of  the 
same  color  on  both  sides.  Peduncles  axillary,  short.  Cup  of  the 
fruit  very  large  and  spongy. 
This  plant  is  described  as  being  but  little  known  to  botanists, 
and  we  should  think  it  probable,  when  Hancock  is  in  doubt  with 
regard  to  it,  and  Dr.  Stenhouse  supposed  it  to  be  a  pine.  -Its 
history,  however,  has  been  clearly  elucidated  by  Nees,  in  his 
Laurine8e.  It  is  an  inhabitant  ^of  Brazil,  and  probably  other 
parts  of  South  America,  the  localities  referred  to  being  Guiana, 
Paraguay  and  Venezuela,  where  either  it  or  the  next  species  may 
be  found.  The  woods  of  Tabatinga,  in  the  province  of  Rio 
Negro,  are  specified  as  producing  it.  The  fruit  in  the  early 
months  of  the  year  drop  from  these  cups  to  the  ground,  when 
they  are  collected  by  the  natives,  cleaned  of  their  flesh  and 
pericarp  and  dried  by  a  gentle  heat. 
JST.  Puchury  minor,  Nees.  This  species  bears  the  smaller 
fruit.  Cotyledons  of  the  Fruit,  Piohurim  Bean,  Para  Nut, 
[Sassafras  Nuts,  Humboldt  ?) 
The  Fruit  contains  two  cotyledons  or  lobes,  which  are  convex 
on  one  side,  flat  or  curved  (from  drying)  on  the  other,  of  a  deep 
brown  color,  probably  reddish  when  fresh,  having  a  strong  aro- 
matic odor,  and  a  warm  pungent  taste.  The  substance  is  at  first 
soft  and  greasy,  but  becoming  hard  from  drying.  With  time,  an 
efflorescence  is  formed  upon  the  surfaces,  supposed  to  be  the 
solid  matter  of  the  essential  oil  contained  in  them.    There  are 
