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24 



MB. H. IT. BIDLEY Off THE 





STEECULIACE^. 



Walthebia amebicafa, L. Sp. PI. ed. 1, p. 673 ; H. B. K* 



Nov. Gen. et Sp. v. p. 333 ; Schum. in Mart. PI. Bras. fase. 96, 



p. 64, t xii. fig. 1. 



Common among thickets, Chaloupe Bay, and in the central 



district. Also at the base of the Peak, 



Distribution. Whole of the tropical world. Very common in 



Brazil. 







Stebcttlia 

 There were 

 the village. 



in the gardens in 







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GEEANIACB^E. 



Oxalis Nobonhjb, Hook. Ic. Pi. xiv. p. 21, t. 1226; Hemsl. 

 Bot. 'Challenger,' Bxped. pt. ii. Atlant. Isl. p. 14. 



This plant is common on nearly all the larger islands, Ilha 

 dos Ratos, Sella GKueta, and the main island, wherever it can find 

 sufficient protection from the wind. It was originally described 

 from imperfect material collected by Darwin and Moseley ; and 

 is, as far as at present known, peculiar to this group of islands. 

 I examined the plants with some care, and am therefore able to 













further 



It is a shrub of from 1 





in 





woods, where it grows freely intermingled with Jacquinia armil- 

 laris, Palicourea, and other shrubs. The stem is never more than 

 2 inches thick, and covered with a smooth brown bark. The 

 branches slender, rather stiff and erect. The leaves are very 

 slightly sensitive, light dull green, and, like almost the whole 

 plant, pleasantly acid. The flowers are large and bright yellow, 

 opening in the early morning and closing up as the sun becomes 

 hot, so that the flower looks again like a bud. There are two 

 forms of the flower borne on different bushes, differing in the 

 length of the styles. The commonest is the brevist 

 this the inner whorl of stamens is long enough to reach to the 

 mouth of the corolla, while the outer row, which are thicker at 

 the base, reach only about halfway. The bright 

 project between the upper stamens at a distance of about half- 

 way between the anthers of the upper and lower whorl. In 





form. In 



green 



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