border with safety, and are soon loaded with their pendent, 

 copious, large, and graceful flowers. 



Till recently, the species was scarcely known but by 

 the figure of Ruiz and Pavon, its original discoverers, who 

 found it at Chincao and Muna, in Peru. It has probably 

 an extensive range in the Andes of Peru ; for I possess fine 

 native specimens, gathered by the late Mr. Mathews in 

 Chacapoyas, and a very nearly allied species, or, probably, 

 a variety, from the western side of the great volcano of 

 Pichincha, in Columbia, collected by Dr. Jameson. 



Descr. With good management, this plant attains a 

 height, with us, of four or five feet, its new branches soft 

 and succulent, and, as well as the petioles, deeply tinged 

 with purple. The leaves are large, sometimes a span long, 

 between ovate and oblong, acute at both ends, obscurely 

 serrated at the margin, downy, especially beneath ; above, 

 the nerves are deeply impressed, and the primary lateral 

 ones are united by transverse ones, so that the surface may 

 be said to be reticulated. Peduncle terminal, long, grace- 

 fully drooping among the leaves, bearing a corymb of 

 numerous large, red flowers. Pedicels slender, with a small 

 leaf at the base of each, racemose, the lower ones elongat- 

 ed, so that the flowers form a corymb resembling a tassel 

 of rich scarlet flowers. Tube of the calyx very long, 

 funnel-shaped; the segments acuminated, at length re- 

 flexed. Petals deep red, lanceolate, acuminate, spreading. 

 Stamens about as long as the petals, rather shorter than 

 the style with its capitate stigma. Germen oblong, be- 

 coming a berry of a rich purple colour, by no means 

 unpleasant in taste, the flavour a good deal resembling that 

 of well ripened figs. 



