M. Van Houtte, and to have been received by that eminent 

 nurseryman from M. Ortgies, of Zurich ; but I can hardly 

 fancy this variety being anything more than an imperfectly 

 developed state of the original plant {a rosea). 



The genus Balechampia contains some fifty tropical plants, 

 chiefly American ; very few of them having any claims to 

 horticultural notice, though the white bracts and scandent 

 habit of some may recommendthem. 



Descr. An erect shrub, three to four feet high, much 

 branched and leafy, glabrous, bright-green. Leaves six inches 

 long, subsessile, narrow obovate-oblong or -lanceolate, long 

 acuminate, entire or coarsely obtusely toothed above the mid- 

 dle, narrowed and produced towards the base, which is cordate, 

 dark shining green above, paler below. Stipules large, green, 

 ovate or triangular-ovate. Peduncles solitary, axillary, strict, 

 shorter than the leaves. Involucral bracts two to two and a 

 half inches long, broadly cordate, sessile, toothed, membra- 

 nous, nerved, of a brilliant rose-red colour, alternating with 

 two small ovate, acute, green stipule-like outer bracts. 

 Flowers clustered, male and female together, with many 

 braeteoles at the base of the clusters. Male flowers on a jointed 

 pedicel. Sepals five, oblong, spreading and incurved, pube- 

 rulous. Staminal column cylindric, pubescent; anthers nu- 

 merous, capitate ; pedicelled waxy capitate bodies (imperfect 

 male flowers) are clustered together at one side of the male 

 flowers. Female flowers subsessile. Calyx-lobes six, erect, lan- 

 ceolate, irregularly toothed or entire. Ovary pubescent, 

 three-celled. Style very slender ; stigma obtuse. — J. I). H. 



Fig. 1. Cluster of flowers. 2. Ditto of imperfect males. 3. Male flower 

 and pedicel. 4. Stamen. 5. Cluster of female flowers. 6. Female flower. 

 7. Ovary. 8. Transverse section of ditto -.—all magnified. 



