Tas. 7694. 
MACLEANTA INSIGNIS. 
Native of Mexico. 
Nat. Ord. VacctnracE#.—Tribe THIBAUDIEA, 
Genus Macreania, Hook. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p- 506.) 
Mac.eania insignis; ramulis robustis, foliis 14-2-pollicaribus brevissime 
crasse petiolatis ellipticis oblongisve obtusis apiculatis basi rotundatis 
utrinques parsim punctulatis supra lete viridibus subtus pallidioribus 
novellis aurantiaco-coccineis, costa subtus crassa, nervis paucis arcuatis 
gracillimis, floribus axillaribus solitariis et fasciculatis foliis subsequi- 
longis, pedicellis crassis medio minute 2-bracteolatis, calycis subob- 
pyramidati 5-alati ore truncato 5-apiculato, corolle 1}-pollicaris coccines 
tubo cylindraceo levi deorsum paullo dilatato, lobis brevibus triangulari- 
bus, antherarum loculis asperis in tubum angustum uniporosum apice 2- 
denticulatum productis, connective dorso incrassato, bacca globosa 4-% 
poll. diam. 5-costata alba costis rubris. 
M. insignis, Mart. & Gal. in Bull, Acad. Brug. vol. ix. (1842) p. 531. Walp. 
Rep. vol. ii. p. 724; Ann. vol. i. p. 478. Klotzsch in Linnea, vol. xxiv. 
(1857) p. 20. 
Fifteen species of the beautiful genus Macleania are 
enumerated in the “Index Kewensis,’’ of which five, in- 
cluding M. insignis, have been figured in this Magazine. 
The earlier ones are M. angulata, Hook., t.3979; M. punc- 
tata, Hook., t. 4426 ; M. speciosissima, Hook., t. 5453, and 
M. pulehra, Hook., t. 5465. The names of three out of 
the six bespeak their exceptionally ornamental character. 
M. insignis is a native of Mexico, where it was dis- 
covered in the Province of Vera Cruz, by Galeotti, in 
1840, growing epiphytically on oaks, at an elevation of 
four thousand to six thousand feet, flowering in April. 
Galeotti describes it as bulbous, referring, no doubt, to 
the tuberous base of the stem, so characteristic of many 
epiphytic Vacciniacex. It has also been collected by 
Linden, and by Jurgensen. Specimens from the latter 
_ (No. 969) inthe Kew Herbarium have much longer leaves 
_ than those here represented. The species was introduced 
into Europe many years ago, and is not uncommon in 
gardens. The specimen here figured was sent to me by 
January Ist, 1900. oes 
