Tas. 6290, 
RONDELETIA BackHousit. 
Native of Tropical America. 
Nat. Ord. Rusracrm.—Tribe RonpELETIER. 
Genus Ronveretia, Linn. (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 48.) 
Ronpevetia Backhousii; fere glaberima, caule gracili, ramis teretibus, toliis 
breviter petiolatis elliptico-ovatis subacutis supremis ovatis sessilibus, nervis 
remotis arcuatis, stipulis triangulari-subulatis, paniculis terminalibus amplis 
ramosis basi foliaceo-bracteatis, bracteis ad axillas linearibus v. lineari- 
oblongis, bracteolis subulatis, floribus breviter gracile pedicellatis 5-meris, 
calycis puberuli tubo subgloboso, limbi lobis obovato-oblongis v.-linearibus 
obtusis v. acutis corolle tubo gracili dimidio terve brevioribus, corolle 
rose lobis rotundatis, fauce glaberrima, ore obscure annulato, staminibus 
medio tubo-insertis, filamentis brevibus, antheris inclusis lienari-oblongis 
sequilongis, stylo brevi, stigmatibus linearibus. 
This charming plant was received from Messrs. Backhouse 
of York, about the year 1860, without locality or name, and 
has been cultivated ever since in the Palm-house at Kew, 
where it flowers freely annually in autumn, but does not 
fruit. I have in vain endeavoured to name it, but it agrees 
with no described species, nor is there any at all like it in 
the Herbarium, except one from the Ecuadorian Andes, 
collected by: Spruce (n. 5116), which has lanceolate acumi- 
nate leaves that are very pubescent beneath in the young 
State, and have many nerves. The genus is a very large one, 
including upwards of 60 species, and extends from Mexico to 
South Brazil. Their flowers are probably dimorphic, the males 
having short styles and stamens comparatively high up the 
tube; in which case our plant is a male. I have named it 
in compliment to its introducers, Messrs. Backhouse, of York, 
who can give me no information as to its origin, but suppose 
that it was obtained from their continental correspondent. 
_Descr. A small shrub, glabrous in all its parts, except the 
pedicels, calyx and corolla-tube, which are minutely pubescent. 
Stems and branches slender, terete, green. Leaves opposite, 
shortly petioled, four to nine inches long, ovate, subacute, 
membranous, green with red petiole and veins beneath ; 
APRIL Ist, 1877. 
