630 
Asparagus-like Psyllocarpus. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
4 P. ruymproipes (Mart. l. c. p. 46.) shrub much branched ; 
branches squarrose, downy ; leaves downy, in fascicles; flowers 
terminal, somewhat spicate; calyxes hairy. h.S. Native of 
Brazil, in the province of Minas Geraes, on Serra de Gran Mo- 
gol. Flowers azure blue. 
Thymbra-like Psyllocarpus. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
Cult. See Richardsonia, p. 628. for culture and propagation. 
CXCIV. MITRACA’RPUM (from purpa, mitra, a girdle, or 
ring, and kaproc, karpos, a fruit; in allusion to the fruit being 
cut round about in the middle). Zuccar. in Roem. et Schultes, 
syst. 3. p. 210. (1827.). Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnea. 3. p. 
358. A. Rich. mem. soc. hist. nat. par. 5. p. 151. t. 14. f. 4. 
D. C. prod. 4. p. 571.—Crusea, Cham. in litt. 1829.— Schizan- 
gium, Bartl. in herb. Henke.—Staurospérmum, Thonn. in 
Schum. pl. guin. (1827.) p. 73.—Spermacdce species of 
authors. 
Lin. syst. Tetrándria, Monogynia. Calyx with an ovate 
tube, and a 4-toothed, permanent limb; 2 of the teeth are usu- 
ally larger than the other 2, which are always small, or nearly 
obsolete. Corolla salver-shaped, with a terete tube, which is 
furnished near the base inside with a circular line of hairs, a 
glabrous throat, and a 4-lobed limb. Anthers exserted, or in- 
closed. Stigma bifid. Capsule membranous, crowned by the 
calyx, 2-celled, circumcised round the middle. Seeds solitary 
in the cells, basilar, partly fixed to the dissepiment.—Herbs or 
sub-shrubs, with the habit of Spermacéce, all natives of Ame- 
rica, except one species from Africa. Leaves opposite. Sti- 
pulas combined with the petioles a little way, and ending in many 
bristles. Flowers in dense, verticillate, axillary and terminal 
heads, the latter always involucrated by 4 leaves. Corollas 
white. 
§ 1. 
Two of the calycine teeth are large, and two small. 
* Suffruticose and herbaceous perennial plants. 
1 M. Humporpria‘num (Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnea. 3. p. 
358. t. 3. f. 1.) erect; branches nearly terete, downy while 
young, but glabrous in the adult state; leaves linear-oblong, or 
lanceolate, pubescent or hairy on both surfaces; stipulas with 
5 stiff bristles on each side, naked at the apex ; flowers disposed 
in dense verticillate heads; heads numerous, distant, terminal 
and axillary ones alike; the two large teeth of the calyx are 
subulate, and ciliated. h. S. Native of New Spain, on Silla 
de Caraccas; and of Brazil, in sand by the sea-side, at Rio 
Janeiro. The specimens from Caraccas are more hairy than the 
Brazil plant, which is trailing. Spermacdce frigida, Willd. in 
Roem. et Schultes, 3. p. 531. Kunth, nov. gen. 3. p. 349. 
Flowers white. 
Humboldt’s Mitracarpum. PI. 2 to 3 feet. 
2 M. Setrowia'num (Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnea. 3. p. 
361.) stem diffuse, much branched, clothed more or less with 
white hairs; leaves oblong or lanceolate, sessile, cuspidate, sca- 
brous on both surfaces; stipulas cleft into many stiff bristles, 
membranous and villous at the base ; heads terminal, dense, invo- 
lucrated by 4 leaves, which are 2 or 3 times longer than the head. 
—Native of Brazil, about Rio Grande do Sul, Monte Video, &c. ; 
in the Pampas of Buenos Ayres and Cordova. Capsule glabrous. 
The 2 larger teeth of the calyx are scabrous, erect, and subulate, 
with a very few additional denticulations. Flowers white. Leaves 
varying from 2 to 4 lines broad. Stem usually very villous, but 
sometimes almost glabrous, as well as the leaves. 
Sello’s Mitracarpum. PI. diffuse. 
3 M. Satzmannia‘num (D. C. prod. 4. p. 571.) stems diffuse, 
much branched, hispid from spreading stiffish hairs; leaves 
ovate-lanceolate, scabrous on both surfaces, setigerous at the 
apex ; stipulas villous, membranous at the base, cleft into many 
RUBIACEA. CXCIV. Mirracarrum. 
stiffish bristles ; flowers disposed in dense, verticillate heads, the 
ultimate or terminal head round, and involucrated by 2-4 leaves, 
which are hardly longer than the head. %. S. Native of 
Brazil, in sand by the sea-side, at Bahia, where it was collected 
by Salzmann. Very like M. Sellowidnum, but differs in the 
characters indicated, as well as in the seeds being paler and one- 
half smaller. Flowers white. 
Salzmann’s Mitracarpum. PI. diffuse. l 
4 M. scuiza’neium (D. C. prod. 4. p. 572.) suffruticose ; 
branches sub-tetragonal, downy ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acu- 
minated, scabrous on both surfaces, and on the margins; sti- 
pulas villous and membranous at the base, cleft in many stiff 
bristles ; heads of flowers terminal and axillary, verticillate; the 
former involucrated by 4 leaves. h. S. Native of Mexico, 
where it was collected by Hænke. Schizángium dùrum, Bartl. 
in herb. Hænke. Leaves 24-27 lines long, and 4 broad. Teeth 
of calyx acuminated, scabrous. Flowers white. 
Cut-capsuled Mitracarpum. Shrub diffuse. f 
5 M. cusprpa‘tum (D. C. prod. 4. p. 572.) stems ascending, 
branched, downy ; leaves linear, cuspidate by a straight mu- 
crone, almost veinless, glabrous; bristles of stipulas 3-5, stiff, 
longer than the sheath ; heads of flowers hemispherical, terminal, 
3-4 times shorter than the bracteas ; calyx with 2 cuspidate 
teeth, and 3-4 nearly abortive ones. Y%. S. Native of Monte 
Video; and of Chili, at Maldanado, in the Banda Oriental. 
Stem hardly a hand high, suffruticose at the base. Heads of 
flowers 4 lines in diameter. Floral leaves 9 lines long, and a 
line broad. Tube of the corolla almost double the length of 
the calycine teeth. Flowers white. 
Cuspidate-leaved Mitracarpum. Pl. ascending. 4) 
6 M. virca‘tum (Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnea. 3. p- 363. 
stem suffruticose, erect, and are, as well as the branches, ee 
and glabrous: leaves linear, very narrow, flaccid ; stipulas 0 
two colours, ciliated; corollas long, tubular; stamens exsertee 
h.S. Native of Brazil. Spermacéce virgata, Willd. in Roem. 
et Schultes, syst. 3. p. 281. and 531, mant. 3. p. 205. eee 
syst. 1. p. 401. Flowers white. Leaves 6-8 ina whorl, accor 
ing to Link, but are probably only in axillary fascicles. 
Tniggy Mitracarpum. Shrub 1 foot. : 63.) 
7 M. pirrvu'sum (Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnea. 3. p. sf a 
stems suffruticose, procumbent, terete, hairy ; leaves a: are 
beset with retrograde asperities on both surfaces, and serru ps 
ciliated on the margins ; flowers capitate and verticillate ce a 
larger lobes of the calyx exceeding the corolla, which is s ee 
shaped ; capsule smoothish. hk. S. Native of South Amer! in 
in woods about the Orinoco and Apure. Flowers white; stame 
exserted ; seeds oblong. 
Diffuse Mitracarpum. Shrub diffuse. a 
8 M. Sacr#a‘num (D.C. prod. 4. p. 572.) plant e , 
twisted and tufted, clothed with fine down; leaves x E 
heads of flowers axillary and terminal, the latter girde ei 
leaves : lobes of calyx 4, 2 large concave and blunt, bg 
small. h.S. Native of Cuba, near the Havannah, where ‘Geol 
collected by Ramon de La Sagra. Flowers white. 
brown, hollow in front, and marked by 4 small rays. 
Ramon de La Sagra’s. Mitracarpum. Shrub tufted. ae 
9 M. Senecate’nse (D.C. prod. 4. p. 572.) glabrous ‘see 
erect, suffruticose at the base, rather tetragonal ; leaves 0 i j 
acuminated at both ends: stipulas furnished with 2-3 tee! 
both sides; flowers disposed in capitate whorles ; calyx Ni tive 
teeth, 2 long and acute, and 2 small. h.? ©.? F. ge 
of Senegal, on the banks of the river at Walo, where 1t "a - 
lected by Bacle, Perrottet, and Leprieur ; and in other par htt 
Guinea, by Thonning. Oldenlandia verticillata, Bacle, 7." 
Staurospérmum verticillatum, Thonn. in Schum. pl. gwn: at in 
Flowers white. Seeds small, nearly globose, pale, umbiliea 
