The largest species hitherto (1794) known. Root woody, 

 strong, emitting numerous ramifying fibres. Stem strong, 

 firm, upright, woody, pretty regularly branched, more like 

 a little tree. Branches spreading, numerous, disposed 

 somewhat in a pyramidal manner, stout, while young an- 

 cipitous, glaucous and thickly covered with leaves ; when 

 old, more cylindrical and woody. Leaves lunulate or very 

 compressed ly triangular, incurved with a sharp-edged pro- 

 tuberance, very entire keel, and a slight cartilaginous border, 

 which does not terminate in a point like those of many of the 

 species of this genus, opposite, rather stemclasping than 

 connate, much the thickest towards the base, especially on 

 the inside, the largest about two inches long, almost one 

 inch deep, and about the third of an inch across the 

 broadest part of the upper side, whence it gradually tapers 

 to a very fine edge, smooth, irregularly sprinked with 

 minute semipellueid dots, covered with a white bloom or 

 hoar, like that we see on a fresh-gathered plum. Flowers 

 (in the specimen Mr. H. saw, and which he thinks might be 

 imperfect from the cold season they were produced in) 

 terminal, by threes (or rather fives), small. Peduncles 

 angular, furnished with two. large leaflike bractes. Calyx 

 5-cleft, with unequal segments, two of which, as in most 

 other species, are larger than the rest. Corolla purple; 

 petals linear, numerous. Germen five-cornered. 



