Tab. 5648. 



STEMON ACANTHUS Peaecei. 



Mr. Pearces Stemonacanthus. 



Nat. Ord. Acanthacej:. — Didyuamia Angiospermia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx profunde 5-fidua, aequalis. Corollas tubus elongatus, 

 curvus, sensim ampliatus ; limbus ringens, 2-labiatus, 6-lobus, lobis pa- 

 tentibus v. reflexis. Stamina 4, exserta, infra os tubi inserta, filamentis 

 per paria connatis ; antherae oblongae, 2-loculares, loculis contiguis. Stigma 

 2-ndum, lobis angustis. Capsula basi contracta, asj)erma, superne 4-8- 

 sperma. Semina planiuscula, retinaeulis suffulta. — Suffrutices Americani. 

 Folia opposita v. infer iora 3-na. Inflorescentia axillaris v. terminal**, laxa 

 v. densa. Bracteae parvce v. angusta. Flores coccinei, ebracteolati v. 2- 

 bracteolati. 



Stemonacanthus Pearcei ; caule acute 4-gono, foliis breviter petiolatis 

 lane olatis louge acuniinatis obtuse serratis glaberrimis subtus fuseo- 

 purpureis, paDiculis axillaribus paucifloris, pedunculis petiolis paulo 

 lougioribus, calycis pilosuli lobis subulatis, corolla? 2-2|-pollicaris 

 tubo gracile lobis revolutis, ovario glacduloso. 



Of the beautiful American Acanthaceous genus Stemon- 

 acanthus, very few species have hitherto been introduced into 

 this country, though our herbaria contain several that are 

 eminently worthy of cultivation. But one, S. macrophyllus, 

 (Tab. nostr. 4448,) has been figured previously in this Maga- 

 zine ; it resembles the present in habit and general charac- 

 ters, but has a much more lax inflorescence. 



8. Pearcei is a stove plant, native of Bolivia, where it was 

 discovered by Messrs. Veitch's able collector, whose name it 

 bears, and flowered in the Royal Exotic Nurseries in March 

 of the present year. I find no described species near it in 

 characters, but think it possible that it may be identical with 

 Arrhostoxylum Roenkeanwm, Nees (in DC. Prod. v. 11, t. 211), 

 which, though placed by its author in a genus which differs 

 from Stemonacanthus chiefly in the obtuse calyx-lobes, is 

 nevertheless itself described as having subulate calyx-lobes. 



Bescr. An erect, glabrous undershrub. Branches acutely 

 quadrangular, stout. Leaves shortly petioled, five to six inches 



rovjL 1st, 1867. 



