Tas. 5244, 
BELOPERONE : viotacna. 
Violet-flowered Beloperone. 
Nat. Ord. AcANTHACER.—Dr1anpria Monoaynia. 
Gen. Char. Calyx profunde quinquefidus ; daciniis zequalibus, latis v. latiusculis ; 
éubo angusto. Corolla ringens, tubo labiogue superiore concavo-conicis, rectis, 
inferiore labio trifido eequali, disco levi. Stamina duo, tubo infra medium in- 
_ Serta. Anthere biloculares ; loculis basi calcaratis, in connectivo semisagittato- 
ovali oblique distantibus, altero altiore. Stigma subulatum (in specie anomala 
obtusum). Capsula a basi ad medium compresso-unguiculata, asperma, apice 
tetrasperma. Semina colorata.—Frutices Americe tropice (rarius herbee) speciosi ; 
corollis elongatis, purpureis vel ceruleis ; bracteis sepe coloratis. Spice axillares 
terminalesque, breves, secunde. Flores alterni ; bracteis patulis bracteolisque sepe 
@qualibus, longis, linearibus lanceolatisve. Nees. 
Pd 
BELOPERONE violacea ; suffruticosa, ramis herbaceis glabris ad nodos incras- 
satis, foliis brevi-petiolatis ovatis acuminatis integerrimis pilosulis ciliolatis, 
floribus terminalibus capitatis bracteatis, bracteis oblongo-lanceolatis paten- 
tibus foliaceis viridibus calyce brevioribus, calycis profunde 5-partitis, laci- 
niis eequalibus oblongis erectiusculis integerrimis ciliatis, corolla calyce sub- 
quadruplo longiore speciosa purpurea, labio inferiore amplo pulcherrime albo- 
lineato. 
BELOPERONE violacea. Planch. et Lind. Hort. Linden, n. 5. 
The genus Beloperone is formed by Nees von Esenbeck, at the 
expense of the old and overgrown genus Justicia, but how far 
with judgment must be left for Dr. Anderson to decide, who is 
preparing a treatise on Acanthacee with all the care and atten- 
tion that so difficult a subject demands. No less than thirty- 
one species are referred to it, all natives of tropical America, and 
all having elongated conspicuous purple flowers, with numerous 
foliaceous green bracts at their base. In the present instance 
the white line in the disk of the lower lip, with its many short 
branches, has a pretty effect on the purple-corolla. _ 
Beloperone violacea was introduced to gardens in Europe 
from New Granada, by Mr. Linden, to whom we are indebted for 
our plant. It is treated with us as an ordinary stove plant, and 
is easily cultivated. Linden indeed says it succeeds perfectly 
APRIL lst, 1861. 
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