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RHEXIA holosericea. 



Velvet' leaved Rhexia, 



OCTANDUIA (DECANDRIA) MONOGYNJ^. 



Nat, ord. Melastom^ (recentius Melastomace/e). Jussieu gen. 328, 



IJlV, II. lb 



RHEXIA. Cal. cum germine, et dein cum capsula partim v. omnind 

 conferrumiiiatus (v. germine et capsula liberus). Pet. 1-5-G. Slam. 8-10- 

 32, omnino libera. Caps, sicca, caljce obtecta. Sem. plurima reccptacuJis 

 axi central! atlhaercntibus, et in unoquoqae loculo singulis inserta. Vente- 

 nat in mem. de I'inst. 1807. 8. II. (sub Mehiana et Kiiexia). 



R. holosericea, foliis subcordato-ovalibus, utrinque sericeo-tomentosi*, 7- 

 nerviis, sessilibus: paniculii terminali: floribus bracteaceis decandris, 

 IIumL et Bonpl. Rhexia. 29. /. 12. 

 Melastoma argentea. Lamarck encyc. 4'. 4'5. 



Frutex lO-pedalis, sericeo-tomentosus ( sericeo-pUosus ) . Rami opposiftf 

 acuti, tetragojti. Fol. approximata, pateniia, sexsilia, subcordata, ovaHot 

 crassa, utrinque sericeo-tomentosa pUis densissimis incumbentibus, l-S-nerviOf 

 tntegerrima. Florum panicula (brachiala) terminalis ramulis p/erumque 

 irifidis composila. Flores violaceo-purpurci bracteati. BractesB 3 v. 2 calycis 

 longitudiney oblongce, sericea^ singulis JascicuUs Jlorum, caducts, Cal. tubu- 

 losus, sericeo-villosus, 5'Jidus, laciniis tubo brevioribtts, interne glabris. Pet. 

 5, obovata, caluci vauhdum longiora, patentia, interne glabra, extend pilota. 

 Stam. 10, corolla longiora: fil. concolora petalis, introrsum arcuala, ad apicem 

 infra antkeram tuberculis 2 appendtctdata : anth, lineares, basi affixee. Germ. 

 oblongO'Ovatum, dentibus 5 villosissimis umbilicatum, 5-valv., 5-loc,t poltf- 

 sperma. Bonpl. loc. cit. 



Though very lately introduced into our collections, this 

 fine plant had been long since observed both by Commer- 

 son and Sir Joseph Banks, while growing on its native spot 

 near Rio Janeiro in Brazil, and samples are presei-ved in 

 each of their Herbariums. The species had not been noticed 

 in any publication, until taken up from Commerson's 

 specimen by the Chev . de Lamarck, in his valuable En- 

 cyclopedic Botanique. It has been since described and 

 figured from the dried plant, in the splendid Monograph of 

 this genus by Monsieur Bonpland. We are not to confound 

 it vnt\i the Melastoma sericea of the works of Linmeus and 

 his editors, where, as Mr. Dryander observes, a very dif- 

 ferent species is manifestly intended, though it so happens 

 that a sample of the present stands in the Linnoean Her- 

 barium under that very title. Nor has our plant any thmg 



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