Tas. 7695. 
DIOSTEA JUNCEA. 
Nutive of Chili. 
* 
Nat. Ord. VerBenacrex.—Tribe VERBENE. 
Genus Diostsea, Miers; (in Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xxvii. 1871) p. 102.) 
DiostEa juncea; frutex v. arbuscula fere glaberrima, e basi ramosa, sparsi- 
folia, ramulis gracilibus virgatis oppositis v. 3-4-natim verticillatis 
erectis decurvisve, internodiis valde. elongatis teretibus fistnlosis, foliis 
parvis oppositis sessilibus oblongis ovato-oblongisve obtusis pauci- 
crenatis crassiusculis, floribus parvis in spicas densifloras pedunculatas 
breves v. demum elongatas dispositis basi bracteolatis, bracteola minuta 
oblonga, calyce brevi tubulosa truncata breviter 5-dentata pubescente, 
_ dentibus obtusis xqualibus y. postico longiore, corolla tubo calyce 
ter quaterve longiore tubulosa decurva supra medium gibboso-inflata 
2H ey lilacina intus pilosa, ore paullo constricto, limbo parvo patente 
-lobo, lobis rotundatis, staminibus medio tubo corollz insertis didynamis 
quinto seepe imperfecto v. 0, connectivo dorso incrassato, disco annulari, 
ovario 2-loculari, loculis 1-ovulatis, stylo gracile apice clavellato, stigmate 
simplici. . 
D, juncea, Miers, 7.c. p. 103, t. 28. 
D. chameedryfolia, Hort. Kew. (non Lippia chamedryfolia, Steud.) 
BaiLionia juncea, Benth. in Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 1144. 
DipyreEna dentata, Philippi in Linnea, vol. xxix. (1857-8) p. 22. 
Lrprra juncea, Schauer in DC. Prodr. vol. xi. p. 573. C0. Gay, Fl. Chil. vol. v. 
p- 80. Philippi Le. vol. xxxiii. (1864-5) p. 196. 
VexBena juncea, Hook. et Gill. in Hook, Bot. Misc. vol. i. (1830) p. 162. 
Diostea is a very curious genus, closely allied to Lippia, 
but differing remarkably in habit, in the slender green 
branches, and in the branchlets being cylindric, fistular, 
with very long internodes. It was founded on Verbena 
juncea, Hook. & Gill., by Miers, who describes seven species, 
all Chilian. 
Bentham, who elaborated the Verbenaceex for the “ Genera 
Plantarum,” referred D. juncea with D. infuscata, Miers, and 
valdiviena, Miers, as synonyms, to Bocquillon’s genus Bail- 
lonia, a Paraguayan plant, of which he had seen no 
specimens. The latter has been acquired for the Kew Her- 
_ barium, and proves to be generically different from Diostea. 
Miers’ other species, D. scoparia, stenophylla, filifolia and 
January Ist, 1900, 
