Rio, was sent to me in 1836, and finding it to differ from Lind- 
ley’s G. Douglasit in the peculiarly verticillate and generally 
simple peduncules of the flowers, I called it G. Douglasii, var. 
verticilata ; and I remarked,—* In Professor Lindley’s plant the 
inflorescence is a decided panicle; in ours the peduncles, gene- — 
rally simple, are arranged in dense whorls, many of them quite 
simple, others very slightly branched, and only near the base. 
- Our flowers too are larger than in that figure, and more inclining 
to a purple tint.” I may here add that in our plant the corolla 
is subclavate and decidedly curved; in Lindley’s plant the tube 
is quite straight, and the limb more patent. 
During the present winter my attention has been directed to 
a state or variety of this plant, which has been the pride and 
ornament of our stoves during the winter months. Of it we re- 
ceived the tubers from Mr. Millosovich, of Rio Janeiro, last year ; 
and I was not a little surprised to find it taken up as a new spe- 
cies, both by Dr. Lindley, in Paxton’s ‘ Flower Garden,’ under 
the name of G. purpurea; and by Dr. Planchon, in the ‘ Flore des 
Serres,’ under that of Dirceo-Gesneria purpurea; the former, 
its introduction being unknown to him, suspects it to be a hy- 
brid, “ perhaps between G@. Douglasii and G. discolor ;’”’ the latter 
traces its parentage, but unaccompanied by any proof, to Ges- 
neria Douglasii and G. (Dircea) lobulata (a rich scarlet-flowered 
species) of both of which excellent figures are given by the 
author in the same volume. ‘To Dr. Lindley is due the merit of 
distinguishing the G. purpurea as a species; and since I am 
able to prove that this has been imported three different times 
and by as many different persons, direct from the Brazils, I think 
a legitimate parentage will be henceforth conceded to it. I may 
add too that my herbarium possesses native specimens of both 
the species now under consderation, gathered by Gardner, in 
Brazil, and exhibiting all the characters, as figured and described 
by Lindley. The one is n. 251, of Gardner’s Herb. Bras., from 
the trunks of trees, on the Pedra Bonita Tejuca, 1836, and cor- 
- rectly named “ Gesneria Douglasii, Lindl.” The other is his 
n. 466, from the Organ Mountains, marked Gesnerie gp. “At 
all events,” Dr. Lindley concludes, “ G. purpurea is one of the 
most striking of the whole race to which it belongs,” and we 
heartily concur with him in that opinion. 
Fig. 1. Pistil glands,—magnified. 2. Ovary and glands,—more magnified. 
