Mr. J. Miers on the genus Marckea. 185 XXI. — Contributions to the Botany of South America. By John Mters, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. [Continued from p. 142.] Marckea, Of this genus no further information has hitherto been re-corded beyond the short account first published by Richard, and so httle has its affinity been understood, that it was considered by Endhcher as related to the Nicotianece. Its alliance however is evidently with Solandra and Juanulloa, agreeing with the latter genus in the structure of its calyx and fruit, and differing in the hypocrateriform shape of its corolla, with broad, expanded and almost rotate border, and in its scarlet colour. From a plant in Sir William Hooker's herbarium, with only a single flower and fruit, I have been able to make the following analysis, which in some respects is incomplete, as I was anxious not to injure the specimen. Marckea, L. C. Richard. Lamarckea, Pers. — Calyx 5-sepalus, persistens, vix augescens : sepala lanceolata, acuminatissima, imo angustata, primum ultra medium, marginibus ciliatis, in tubum pentagonum valvatim conniventia, hinc superne lineari-attenuata, erecta, libera, dein in fructu omnino sejuncta. Co-rolla hypocrateriformis, tubo elongato, cylindrico, fauce sub-inflato, limbo 5-partito, laciniis oblongis, rotundatis, rotato-expansis, subreflexis, sestivatione imbricata. Stamina 5, sequa-lia, paulo supra basin coroUse orta, basi lanata, filamenta ereCta, tenuia, antherce in faucem corollse inclusse, 2-loculares, lineari-oblongse, lobis disjunctis, puncto medio affixis, rima marginali longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ovarium 2-loculare, placentis e dissepimento utrinque cruciatim tenuiter partientibus, hinc in-crassatis undique ovuligeris, ovulis angulo basali nexis, adscen-dentibus. Stylus tenuis, longitudine staminum. Stigma in-tegrum? Bacca fere capsularis, exsucca, evalvis, pericarpio tenui indehiscente, sepalis persistentibus tecta, oblonga, 2-sul-cata, 2-locularis. Semina plurima, imbricatim disposita^ ob-longa, acuminata, imo gibba, hilo in angulo basali, adscen-dentia, testa laxa. Embryo intra albumen parcum, carnosum, axillaris, leviter arcuatus, radicula infera tereti, cotyledonibus ovatis, compressis, incumbentibus, sequilonga. — Suffrutices Guianenses et Antillani scandentes, ramis dependentibus ; folia alternaj petiolata, elliptica, acuta, integra, glabra ; racemi axil-lares; corolla coccinea. 1. Marckea coccinea, L. C. Rich. Act. Soc. Hist. A' at. Par. 107 ; A. Rich. Diet. Class, x. 168. cum icone. Lamarckea coccinea.
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