*» ^ ^^ h 



753 



OCYMUM febnfiigum. 



Sierra Leone Fever Plant 



DI D YNAM I A GYMXOSPERMIA. 



Nat. ord. Labiat.^. Juss. gen. 110. Broum prod. oOG. Sect, IL T>. 



Calyx bilabiatus. Brown L c. 



OCYMUM. Calyx labio superiore orbiculato ; inforioro quaJriiido. 

 CorollcB resupinato al ter urn labium 4-fidiim] altcrum indi visum. Filamada 

 exteriora basi processum emittentia. Flores racemosi. Pars. stj7i. 2. 134. 



febrifi 



foliis ovato-lanceolatis crenatis pe- 



B'i. 



tiolatis, verticiilis terminalibus racemosis, bracteis rlionibcis dccidui^, 



corolla calyci suba:qnali. 



O. keptodoiiy caule erecto ramoso, foliis petiolatis ovatis creuatls, pcii- 



anthii labio inferiore 5-fido, superiore 2-dcntato, perigonii labio inferioie 



./ 3-, superiore 2-lobato. Pal. dc Beauv. FL d'Oivare ct de Benin 2. 5!}. 

 t. 94. 



SuftVutex S'pedalls, nuda^ Melissa odore aromatico. Caulis tetrarjo- 

 nnSy pilosusy angulis rotundatis^ glaherrimis. Folia opposita, ovato-lanceo- 

 lata,' acuminata, obtusa, crenata, petiolata, glabrliiscula: ncrvls pilosis; 

 subtiis reticulata, punctata. Racemi tei^minales villosi. Flores pallidi virides, 

 verticiilis G-Jloris dispositL Bracte^ verticillo cinque dace^ tenues, rhombco- 

 ovata^, pallidas, decidiice. Pedicelli breves, tenues^pubesceiites. Calyx cavipami- 

 latus,pilosiuscidus, punctatns ; lacinia s^iperiore lata, ovatn,lateralibtis subula- 

 tis^patentibus, inferiore bidenfafd, ascendcnte. Corolla calyci ccfjnalis, jmbes- 

 cens, 5-deutata: dentibtis 4 superioribus suhcequalibus, swsum Jlexis, labcllo 

 tnajore, ovato, concavo, purpureo venoso, marginihus revolutis. Stamina de- 

 clinata, duo postica supra basin tubi inscrta, infra medium calcare brevi vil- 

 loso: duo antica ad basin labclli inscrta, glabra, vintica. Authera? lutece, 

 glabrce, innatcjCy loculis apice conjlneniibtis. Polleu sphericum, Ovaria in 

 disco carnoso immersa. Sty]us filiformis. Stigma hijidum. 



This species of Ocymum is very similar to the O. hepto-' 

 don found by the late M. de Bcauvois in the kingdom of 

 Benin; a plant which is stated to have a flower singular in 

 the genus for the seven teeth of its calyx, and appearing, 

 from the figure which accompanies the description^ of a red 

 colour. Butj as we are unable to discover other points 

 of variance-, it is possible that some allowance should b 

 made for the different appearances of a dried specimen 



c 



living subject. To avoid conmsion, wc have preserved the 

 plant of M. de Beauvois as a distinct variety; and we leave 

 the point to be finally determined by a future reference to 

 the Herbarium of the author. 



