Tas. 4556. 
HYDROMESTUS macu.atus. 
Mexican Hydromestus. 
Nat. Ord. AcANTHACEZ.—D1IDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx bibracteolatus, quinquepartitus, laciniis superioribus sequa- 
libus acutis, quinta postica obtusa. Corolla hypogyna, infundibuliformis, bi- 
labiata, tudo longo; Jabio superiore bifido, Zodis obtusis revolutis inferioris tri- 
fidi laciniis equalibus. Spice bracteis arcte appressis, cucullatis, aqua limpida 
impletis. Stamina quatuor, equalia, corolle tubo inserta, barbata; anthere 
uniloculares, apice et basi lanuginoso-barbate. Ovarium biloculare, Joculis bi- 
ovulatis. Stylus simplex; stigma bilabiatum, Jadiis ineequalibus. Capsula 
sessilis, tetragona, bilocularis, Joculis dispermis, dissepimento incompleto, locu- 
licide bivalvis, valvis medio septiferis. Semina discoidea, rugosa, retinaculis 
uncinatis suffulta. Scheidw. 
HypRomeEstvus maculatus. 
HypRomEstus maculatus.  Scheidweiler in Garten-Zeitung, 1842. p. 285. 
Lindi. in Bot. Reg. 1843. Mise. n. 46. 
Received at Kew from Mr. Lowe of the Clapton Nursery. 
According to Dr. Lindley, it was introduced from Brussels to 
our gardens. Although published by Scheidweiler in 1542, 
according to the same author, yet the genus does not seem to 
be taken up, nor the plant noticed, by Dr. Nees von Esenbeck 
in De Candolle’s ‘ Prodromus.’ It is a native of Mexico, and is 
really a handsome plant, with very glossy leaves (not spotted 
with us), bright yellow flowers, and a singularly nitid imbricated 
spike of large bracteas (like the scales on some Pine-cone), from 
which the flowers spring. ae 
Duscr. An wadershrub, according to Scheidweiler, with te- 
rete purplish éranches, and opposite, large, petiolated, very 
glossy Jeaves, ovate or ovato-lanceolate, entire, penninerved 
(spotted, Scheidweiler). Petiole an inch to an ich and a 
half long, semiterete. Spikes solitary, terminal and anxillary. 
Bracteas \arge, broad-ovate, carinated, bright green, imbricated 
like the scales of a cone, but in four rows. Howers yellow. 
Calyx bibracteolate, five-partite, four of the sepals equal, the fifth 
JANUARY Ist, 1851. 
