Tas. 4211. 
STACHYTARPHETA aristatTa. 
Aristate Bastard-Vervain. 
Nat. Ord. VERBENACE®.—DIANDRIA MoNOGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx tubulosus, quadridentatus. Corolla tubo curvato ; limbo 
quinquefido, inequali. Stamina quatuor quorum duo sterilia. Stigma subcapi- 
tatum. Drupa exsucca, bilocularis, bipartibilis ; loculis monospermis.—Herbe, 
suffrutices, aut frutices. Folia opposita, serrata aut crenata, Spice terminales, 
demum alares, solitaria, teretes, graciles. Flores alterni, sessiles, bracteati ; rachi 
carnose semi-immersi, Corolle violacea, cerule, coccinee aut rosee. Kunth. 
STaAcHYTARPHETA aristata; suffruticosa pubescenti-incana, foliis rhombeo-ovatis 
acuminatis grosse serratis reticulatim venosis basi in petiolum attenuatis 
integerrimis subtus pubescentibus, spica elongata crassa densiflora, brac- 
teis orbiculari-ovatis longe cuspidato-aristatis, corollz limbo tubum curvatum 
zequante v. superante. 
Sracnytarpuera aristata. Vahl, Eel. Am. v. 2. p. 2. Ice. 11. Enum. Plant. v. 1. 
p. 206. 
This fine plant was detected in South America, and probably 
at Santa Martha, by Von Rohr, and seems to have been known 
to no author but Vahl, who has given so accurate a description 
of it in his ‘ Hxumeratio’ that the species cannot be mistaken. 
It has, again, been found by our collector, Mr. Purdie, and sent 
from Santa Martha to the Royal Gardens, where in a moist stove 
it produced its handsome dense spikes of extremely rich_deep 
almost black-purple flowers, in Oct. 1845. These flowers begin 
to expand from below and continue opening upwards in succes- 
sion throughout the whole length of the elongated spike. No 
species of this genus yet cultivated is comparable to this for rich- 
ness of color. The generic name 1s derived from ordxvs a spike, 
and rap$ews crowded: a character which is fully borne out by the 
present species. Oe 
Descr. Whole plant uniformly pubescenti-hirsute. Stems 
terete, herbaceous, with opposite branches. Leaves opposite, 
ovate or rhombeo-ovate, acute, coarsely serrated, the base entire, 
tapering into a short foot-stalk, the surface wrinkled, as it were, 
with the copious oblique veins and transverse reticulations. Spike 
FEBRUARY Ist, 1846. 
