Tas. 5339. 
ACANTHONEMA STRIGOSUM. 
Strigose Acanthonema, 
Nat. Ord. CyrTanDRACE®.—DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 
Gen, Char, ACANTHONEMA, Hook.—Calye profunde 5-partitus, aqualis, lobis 
lineari-oblongis erecto-patentibus. Corolla calyce 4-plo longior, infundibulifor- 
mis, tubo sursum curvato subventricoso, limbo patente aquali 5-lobo, lobis 
rotundatis. Stamina omnino inclusa, 4& fertilia, didynamia, quinto abortivo ad 
squamam subulatam redacto ; fertilium filamenta medio incrassata, 2 superiora 
breviora, inferiora apice furcata, ramo unico antherifero, altero spiniformi ; az- 
theris bilobis, unilocularibus, staminum inferiorum approximatis connatis. Ova- 
rium ovatum, biloculare. Dissepimentum medio longitudinaliter placentiferum ; 
glandula maxima, hypogyna, ad basin inferiorem ; sfy/us filiformis, inclusus, glan- 
dulosus ; stigma breve, bilobum. Ovula numerosa. Capsula? calyce longior, 
ovata, acuminata, placentis utrinque seminiferis.— Herba monophylla, tropice 
occidentalis; radice fusiformi, perenni. Folium humifusnm, oblongo-cordatum, 
pennivenium, superne strigosum, subtus venis hirsutis; paniculis brevibus pancifloris 
aggregatis, € basi in sinu foliorum erumpentibus ; floribus glanduloso-hirsutis ; co- 
rolla aléa ; limbo atro-sanguineo.—Nomen, axavOos, a spine, vyua, a filament. 
ACANTHONEMA strigosum. 
The solitary humifuse leaf of this plant, with small pani- 
cles of long tubular flowers springing from the sinus of the leaf, 
singularly reminds one of some of the Southern and Eastern 
African species of Streptocarpus ; but the structure of the flower, 
the short ovary, the four fertile stamens, together with the forked 
apex of the inferior pair of filaments, indicate a different genus ; 
but, unable to find one whose character accords with it, we are 
reduced to the necessity of forming of it a new genus of Cyr- 
tandracee. It is a native of tropical Western Africa. Living 
plants were sent home by M. Gustav Mann, from an elevation 
of 4000-5000 feet in the plains of Fernando Po, where it grows on 
rocks, and epiphytally on trees. The flowers are mottled with 
blood-purple; they are pretty, but we must confess that the 
plant is more botanically interesting than ornamental. It 
flowered with us from June till August; the various dried speci- 
inens were collected in flower in November. 
OCTOBER IsT, 1862. 
