In Professor Thunberg's Flora of the Cape of Good Hope, where Rubiaceæ are to Phænogamous plants as about one to one hundred and fifty, the order is differently constituted; the equinoctial division, by the addition of Anthospermum, a genus peculiar to southern Africa, somewhat exceeding Stellatæ in number. And in New Holland, in the same parallel of latitude, the relative number of Stellatæ is still smaller, from the existence of Opercularia, a genus found only in that part of the world, and by the addition of which the proportion of the whole order to the Phænogamous plants is there considerably increased.
More than half the Rubiaceæ from Congo belong to well known genera, chiefly to Gardenia, Psychotria, Morinda, Hedyotis, and Spermacoce.
Of the remaining part of the order, several form new genera.
The first of these is nearly related to Gardenia, which itself seems to require subdivision.
The second is intermediate between Rondeletia and Danais, and probably includes Rondeletia febrifuga of Afzelius.[1]
The third has the inflorescence and flowers of Nauclea, [443 but its ovaria and pericarpia are confluent, the whole head forming a compound spherical fleshy fruit, which is, I suppose, the country-fig of Sierra Leone, mentioned by Professor Afzelius.[2]
The fourth is a second species of Neurocarpæa, a genus which I have named, but not described, in the catalogue of Abyssinian plants appended to Mr. Salt's Travels.[3]
The fifth genus is intermediate between Rubiaceæ and Apocineæ. With the former it agrees in habit, especially in its interpetiolary stipules; and in the insertion and structure of its seeds, which are erect, and have the embryo lodged in a horny albumen forming the mass of the nucleus; while it resembles Apocineæ in having its
- ↑ In Herb. Banks. This is the "New sort of Peruvian Bark" mentioned in his Report, p. 174; which is probably not different from the Bellenda or African Bark of Winterbottom's Account of Sierra Leone, vol. 2, p. 243.
- ↑ Sierra Leone Report for 1794, p. 171, n. 32.
- ↑ Voyage to Abyssinia, append. p. lxic. (Antè, p. 94.)
