MB. A. w. bi:n>'ktt on the gekus uydrolea, 273 



rolla " alba," calycem sequaiis. Ovarium ellipticuni, glabrum. Styli 

 duo. Capsula elliptica, minirna, 1 ^-linearis, calycem persistentem 

 ffiquaiis, glabra. Scmina numerosa, minuta. 

 Ilydrolea nigricauhs, Wright^ MS. ; Grisebach, Catalogus Plantarum 



Cubensium, p. 207. 



Hvd. 



by Grrisebach in his ' Catalogus Plantarum Cubensium,' and is 

 found in several Eui^lish and continental Herbaria, numbered 

 3108 in AVriglit's collection. It appears to be confined to Cuba, 

 growing in dried-up pools. Its very glabrous habit, slender, tor- 

 tuous, purple, and decumbent stem, long and slender spines, and 

 small flowers and capsules crowded in very short axillary racemep, 

 readily distinguish it at a glance ; according to Grrisebach, the 

 flowers are w^hite. 



7. H. MEGAPOTAMicA, Spreng. 



Caulis asceudeus, rainosus, molliter pubescens, pihs longls albis cum 

 brevioribus iutermixtis vestitus, inermis. Folia lanceolata, acuminata, 

 circa 2 poll, longa, 6^7 hn. lata, breviter petiolata, utrinque tenuiter 

 pubescentia, petiolorum veuarumque pili longiores, baud glandulosi. 

 Flares magui, 7-8 lin. lati, in cymas corymbosas foliosas dispositi, j)ed- 

 unculati ; pedicelli floribus dimidio breviores^ ut et rachis, pubescentes. 

 Sepala lineari-lanceolata, 4-5 lin. longa, 1 lin. lata, extus pilosa, intus 

 brcvissime hirsuta, venosa. Corolla cairulea, calycem superaiis. Ova- 

 rinm eUipticum, bi- vel triloculare. Styli duo vel tres, elongati. Stig- 

 mata capitata. Capsula elliptica, glabra, calyce persisteute brevior. 



Hydrolea megapotamica, Spreng. Sgsf. vol. iv. p. 114; Chois. Descr. 

 HydroL \ DC. Prorfr.— Wigandia herbacea(?), Chats. Descr. IJydroL; 

 DC. Prodr. vol. x. p. 184. 



This handsome species is easily distinguished from all the 

 others belonging to Section B by its broad pubescent leaves and 

 generally hairy habit. It is not, however, so easy to separate 

 it from the unarmed variety of -ff. spinosa, to which it approaches 

 very nearly, differing chiefly in its larger flowers, and, according 

 to my observation, the hairs of the calyx and pedicels not being 

 glandular, although so described by Choisy, It belongs to South- 

 em Brazil, and is found in several collections. To this species I 

 refer the specimens marked "prov. de Eio-Grande-do-Sul, INF. 

 Isabelle," and " in locis udis Porto-Segere," Tweedie, no. 162 in 

 the Kew collection, as well as " Montevideo, Sello," and, doubt- 

 fully, " Surinam, Ilostmann, no. 450 " in the Vienna Herbarium. 



8- II. GLABRA, Schum. {non Chois., DC). (Tab. I. fig. 8.) 



Caulis erectus, subsimplcx, cirda scsquipedahs, elegans, purj)urabccns. 



