at the upper part. Leaves opposite, wide-spread, lanceo- 
lately oblong, taper-pointed, 5-nerved, 2-6 inches long, 
about three times as narrow, green, hispid: petiole reddish, 
several times shorter. Flowers showy, light pink, about two 
inches in diameter, terminal, less frequently axillary, soli- 
tary or in pairs, not unfrequently closing together into a 
sort of head; pedicle very short, stout, 4-cornered. Calyx 
urceolate, oblong, faintly green, about an inch long, closely 
beset with short radiately bristled interwoven prickles, 
segments of the deciduous 4-parted limb stellately extended, 
lanceolately linear, less closely bristled and terminated by 
a single radiately bristled prickle, with several of the same 
in their intervals. Corolla 4-petalled, wide-spread ; petals 
roundedly obcordate, finely fringed, veined. Stamens 8, equal, 
shorter than the corolla, archedly ascending, loosely fasci- 
cled, yellow, smooth: anthers as long as the filaments or 
longer, linearly beaked, flexuosely curved, terminated by an 
elongated tapered beak, slanting and subcordately acuini- 
nate at the base where they are inserted upon the filament 
without any intervening shaft. Style inclining the contrary 
way to the stamens; curved at the upper part: stigma a 
green simple terminal subpubescent point. Germen sunk 
in the calyx, roundedly ovate, ending in a bristly tapered 
point. Capsule dry, 4-celled, enveloped by the calyx; re- 
ceptacles 4, twice shorter than the axis, to which they are lon- 
gitudinally attached ; seeds numerous, rough. Don MSS. 
LS d 
