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COMAROSTAPHf LIS arbutoides. 

 Arbutus-like Gritberry. 



DECANDRIA MONOOYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Ericaceae. 



COMAROSTAPHTLIS. Zucc. Calyx quinquefidus. Corolla hypo- 

 gyna, globoso-campanulata, limbo quinquefido, reflexo. Stamina 10, imse 

 corollee inserta ; filamenta brevia ; antherce a latere compressae, dorso infra 

 apicem affixse, reflexo-biaristatas, apice biporosse. Ovarium disco hypogyno 

 cinctum, quinqueloculare, rarius sex-novemloculare, locolis uniovulatis. Sty- 

 lus simplex ; stigma obtusum. Drupa globosa, papillosa, monopyrena, pu- 

 tamine osseo, quinqueloculari, rarius sex-novemloculari, loculis nionospermis. 



Semina inversa. Frutices mexicani; foliis alternis, semper virentibus, inte- 



gerrimis v. argute serratis, racemis terminalibus simplicibus. EndJ. gen. 

 no. 4328. 



C. arbutoides; erecta, ramulis foliis subter panicolisque tomentosis, foliis 

 lineari-oblongis integerrimis mucronulatis virentibus subtus ferrugineis, 

 bracteis acuminatis pedicellis brevioribus. 



A native of Quezaltenango in Guatemala, this plant has 

 been raised in the garden of the Horticultural Society from 

 seeds received from Mr. Hartweg. It produced its flowers 

 for the first time in October, 1842 j and is now (May, 1843) 

 again in blossom. 



In some respects it is rather like Comarostaphylis polifolia, 

 but its leaves are much broader and larger and thinner, and 

 they are covered beneath with ferruginous down j the flowers 

 are in panicles, standing high above the leaves, are four times 

 as large, and are white not crimson. 



In appearance it resembles an Arbutus, but it has a dru- 

 paceous fruit, covered with the tubercles of that genus. It 

 differs from Arctostaphylos in the fruit not being smooth, 

 and in having a five-celled drupe, and from Arbutus in the 

 fruit not being many-seeded. It appears, with some other 

 plants, to form a perfectly well marked genus. 



