racemes of flowers, which are deliciously fragrant. Mr. 
T weenie introduced it to our gardens from Buenos Ayres, 
and we have specimens both from the Glasgow and Glas- 
nevin Botanic Gardens. Mr. Niven observes that the 
quantity of mucilage contained in the root is quite remark- 
able, and the bulk of roots produced altogether astonishing. 
He has one root of not less than four pounds weight. At 
Glasnevin, indeed, it has stood the winter in the open air at — 
the bottom of a wall. 
Descr. Root formed of oblong, fleshy, knotted, and in 
the younger state, somewhat scaly tubers, frequently of a 
large size, bearing a few fibres, and throwing up from one 
extremity a rounded, and branched stem, which twines from 
left to right, and is quite glabrous, (as is the whole plant,) 
somewhat woody at the base, the rest herbaceous and green. 
Leaves fleshy, alternate, jointed as it were upon the stem, 
cordate, acute, from an inch and a half to four and five 
inches long, on the lower part of the stem, penninerved, 
quite entire: petiole about an inch long, compressed, broad 
upwards. Stipules none. Racemes axillary, pendent, three 
to five inches long, bearing many greenish-white, deliciously 
fragrant flowers. Pedicels with a small, subulate bractea 
at the base, and at the top are two small, ovate ones, closely 
pressed to the base of the perianth. Perianth single, thin, 
and membranaceous, deeply cut into six oval, soon becom- 
ing reflexed sepals, of which three are more external : often 
there is one or two (and these opposite) large scales or sepals 
on the outside of these, in form, colour, and texture resem- 
bling the segments of the perianth. Stamens six, inserted 
at the base of the segments and opposite to them. Fvla- 
ments subulate, spreading : Anther fixed by the back, short- 
ly-oblong, opening by two clefts. Germen superior, ovate, 
white, abortive : Style shorter than the filament : Stigmas 
three, clavate, white, furrowed at the back. The fruit has 
never been perfected in this country. 
Fig. 1. Flower. 2, Pistil —magnified. 
