Tab. 5414. 



DIPTERACANTHUS affinis. 



Splendid Dipter acanthus. 



Nat. Ord. ACANTHACEiE. — Didynamia Angiospekmia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx sequalis, plus minus profunde quinquefidus. Corolla infun- 

 dibuliformis ; limbo subaequali quinquefido. Stamina didynama, inclusa, fila- 

 mentis basi contiguis aut conjunctis : anthera lineares, sagittatse, loculis parallelis 

 sequalibus muticis. Stigma bilamellatum, basi nodulosum. Capsula basi com- 

 pressa, asperma, plerumque a medio, raro proprius a basi 2-8-1 2-1 6-sperma. 

 Dissepimentum ia medio membranaceum, denique maximam partem evanescens. 

 Retinacula uncinata, prsemorsa. Semina orbiculata, compressa, margine tumido 

 discreto cincta. — Herbse Americana, Asiatics, paucee Africans et Australasias, 

 repentes vel erectee, molliuscula, rarius frutices. Flores aut omnes aut inferiores 

 saltern axillares vel solitarii vel fasciculati, sessiles vel pedunculati, supremi sub- 

 inde in racemum parvibracteatum collecti. Bracteae dues majores foliacea, scepe 

 petiolatce, subjects calyci vel fasciculo ; in racemosis minores et angustiores. Brac- 

 tese vel nulla vel exigua?. Formse anomalae : capsula abortu tetra- vel disperma, 

 ovulis tamen sterilibus adjectis semini. Nees. 



Diptekacanthus affinis; glaber, caule fruticoso, ramis flexuosis dependen- 

 tibus teretiusculis, foliis ovalibus, inferioribus obtusis cum mucronulo, supe- 

 rioribus acutis glabris basi acutiusculis petiolatis, floribus axillaribus soli- 

 tariis subsessilibus calyce duplo brevioribus, corolla grandi-infundibuliformi, 

 tubo in fauces transeunte et cum iisdem limbi laciniis ovatis duplo longiore. 

 Nees. 



Dipteracanthus affinis. Nees, in Endl. et Mart. M. Bras. fasc. 7. p. 30 ; et 



in Be Cand. Prodr. v. 11. p. 119. 

 Neovedia affinis. Schrad. in Goett. Gel. Anz. 1821. v. I. p. 708. 



Certainly this may be reckoned among'the most beautiful of 

 Acanthaccous plants, and of the now extensive genus (counting 

 90 species) Dipteracanthus, vying with our D. spectabilis, figured 

 at Tab. 4494 of this work, and exhibiting a remarkable contrast 

 to that fine plant in the difference of colour in the two ; there a 

 rich deep purple-blue, here an equally rich scarlet. It is a na- 

 tive of various parts of Brazil, and has been imported by Messrs. 

 Henderson, of Wellington Road, to whom we are indebted for a 

 plant which flowered at Kew in July of the present year, 1863. 



Fig. 1. Pistil, — magnified. 



DECEMBER 1ST, 1*63. 



