63 
GESNERA discolor. 
Varnished Gesnera. 
DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 
Nat. ord. GESNERACEA. 
GESNERA. Botanical Register, vol. 4. fol. 329. 
G. discolor; foliis oppositis petiolatis coriaceis induratis cordatis ovatis den- 
tatis supra glabriusculis subtus tomentosis, cymis multifloris in panicu- 
lam aphyllam purpuream glaberrimam quasi vernicatam dispositis, pedi- 
cellis elongatis cernuis, corollis clavato-cylindraceis glaberrimis, faucis 
planze subsequalis laciniis rotundatis. 
All I know of this plant is derived from a specimen be- 
longing to Mr. Young of the Nursery, Epsom, which was 
exhibited by him at the meetings in the Garden of the Horti- 
cultural Society in May and June last, on the latter of which 
occasions the accompanying figure was made. 
It was reported to come from Brazil, and formed a hand- 
some herbaceous plant about two feet high. ‘The leaves were 
very large, and hard, with the lobes of their cordate base over- 
lapping each other ; they were somewhat shining and smooth 
on the upper side, and hairy beneath, ‘The flowers were 
almost two inches long, cylindrical, scarlet, with a flat limb, 
and dispersed in a large leafless panicle, whose branches were 
of a deep purple colour and perfectly destitute of hairiness. 
Both they and the flowers were shining as if they had been 
varnished. 
There are two plants described by DeCandolle, to both 
which this nearly approaches. The first is his G. polyantha, 
to which I should have referred it, but he does not say that 
the panicle is smooth and shining, a character so remarkable 
in this genus that it is not to be supposed that it was over- 
looked. The second is the G. Sellowii taken up from Von 
Z 
