Tab. 6915. 



AMASONIA CALTCINA. 



Native of British Guiana. 



Nat. Ord. Verbbnacf.jj. — Tribe Yerbf.ne.e. 

 Genus Amasonia, Linn.Jil.; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. PI. vol. ii. p. 1147.) 



Amasonia calycina ; foliis petiolatis oblongo-lanceolatis acnminatis grosse irregu- 

 lariter serratis dentatisve basi in petiolum angustatis glaberrimis, racemia 

 gracilibus elongatis nutantibus villoso-tomentosis foliaceo-bracteatis, bracteis 

 petiolatis elongato-lanceolatis acuminatis rubris, floribus breviter pedicellatis, 

 calycibus amplis rubris 5-partitis, segmentis f-pollicaribus e basi lata lanceolatia 

 tenuiter acuminatis, corolla) extus laxe pilosaj flava? tubo calyce ter longiore 

 subcylindraceo, lobis brevibus late ovatis obtusis recurvis, filamentis exsertis 

 basi pilosis, stylo piloso, bacca globosa calyce rubro suffulta. 



A. punicea, Sort, non Vahl. 



The genus Amasonia contains ten or a dozen imperfectly 

 characterized species of South American herbaceous or 

 suffruticose plants, chiefly natives of Brazil and Guiana, 

 though some extend to the Andean provinces of Peru, Bolivia, 

 and Equador. That here figured approaches nearest to an 

 Amazonian one collected by Spruce (No. 2030) on the Rio 

 Negro, and which is referred by Bentham to a variety of 

 A. angustifolia, Mart., but that differs from A, calycina in 

 having pubescent entire leaves, a much smaller calyx, and 

 bracts that widen upwards ; its calyx and fruit too are very 

 much smaller. From A. punicea it differs in the very 

 differently shaped bracts and large calyx. 



A. calycina was introduced by Messrs. Veitch from 

 British Guiana, whence it was sent by their collector, Mr. 

 D. Burke. Our drawing was made from a specimen pre- 

 sented by that firm to the Eoyal Gardens in 1885, which 

 flowered in Sept. 1886, and fruited, but did not ripen seed, 

 in the following November. It is a truly splendid plant, 

 and has the rare advantage of remaining in flower for two 

 months at a time. 



Descb. A tall shrub or undershrub. Leaves six to 

 twelve inches long, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 



jan. 1st, 1887. 



