Tap. 5926. 
LITHOSPERMUM Gasront. 
Native of the Pyrenees. 
Nat. Ord. Boragine®.—Tribe LirHospeRME. 
Genus Lirnospermum, L. ; (A. DC., Prod. Syst. Veg., vol. x. p. 78). 
LitHosrermum Gastoni; sparse et subadpresse pilosum, caule herbaceo 6 
basi ramoso, ramis erectis rigidulis, foliis sessilibus confertis ovatis 
ovato-lanceolatisve sensim acuminatis basi obtusis subtus glabriusculis, 
floribus paucis axillaribus solitariis, lobis calycis lanceolatis extus 
villosulis pedicello glabriusculo duplo longioribus, corolla extus velu- 
tina, tubo gracili longitudine calycis lobis triplo brevioribus. 
Lirnosrermum Gastoni, Benth. in A. DC. Prod., vol. x. p. 83; Gren. et Godr, 
Fil. de France, vol. ii. p. 519. 
One of the rarest of European plants, confined to a few 
spots in the Pyrenees, where it was gathered by Mr. Bentham 
and Pastor P. Gaston in 1839, growing in clefts of almost 
inaccessible rocks, above Eaux-Bonnes, at the Pic de Gers ; 
since which period it has been collected in the Pic d’Anie 
and Col de Tartes, all in the Basses Pyrenees. It is a singu- 
larly beautiful plant, with much larger though not more 
brilliant flowers than the common JL. purpuro-ceruleum, to 
which it is closely allied. The specimen here figured was 
imported by Mr. Backhouse, and flowered in his Nurseries 
at York, in May of the present year. - : 
Descr. A short dwarf leafy perennial, covered with minute 
appressed hairs. Séem branched from the base ; branches 
erect, simple, four to ten inches high, densely leafy. Leaves 
one to three inches long, spreading and recurved, ovate- 
lanceolate, tapering to a fine point, sessile, base rounded, 
keeled, bright green, paler and almost glabrous beneath. 
Flowers few, axillary, crowded towards the tips of the branches 
SEPTEMBER Ist, 1871. 
