Tab. 6341. 

 BESLERIA Imray. 



Native of Dominica. 



Nat. Ord. Gesnerace.e.— Tribe Cyrtandre^e. 

 Genus Bbsuebia, Linn. (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. plant, vol. ii. p. 1015.) 



Besleria Imray; glabemma, caule quadvangulari erecto, foliis sessilibus v 

 breyissimc peholatis obovato-oblougis v. oblanceolatis acuminatis serratis 

 tasi BMfUstate obtusa mombranaceis norvis utrinque 10-12 floribus axillari 

 bus Bolitariis v. fasciculatis, pedunculis calyce aequilongis v. loneioribu«* 

 calycis tubo ventncoso puberalo, lobis tubo brevioribus ovatis acutis dorso 

 m ira apicem cormculatis, corolla aurea calyce duplo longiore, tubo inferior? 

 aubcyhndraceo superne autice ventncoso fauce contracta, lobis parvis 

 rotundatis patentibus intus puberulis, staminibus inclusis disco mteri 

 tonne, ovario glaberrimo. v 



1>. 1m hay. Hook, in herb. 



Besleria, as established by Linnaeus, contained three 

 species, of which one alone, the original Besleria of Plunder 

 is retained in the genus, the rest being referred to other 

 genera of Gesncracecc. As remodelled byBentham, the modern 

 genus retaining as its type the Linmean #. lutea, has besides 

 this about 50 species, several of which had been made the 

 types of genera by (Ersted and by Bentham himself. The only 

 one of these species that has hitherto figured in this Maga- 

 zine is B. Leucostema (Il/pocyrta leucostema, Hook tab 

 nost 4310) The geographical range of the genus is from 

 Mexico and the West Indies to Brazil and Peru, and many 

 of the species are undescribed. 



B. Imray is a native of the Island of Dominica, where it 

 was discovered by our excellent correspondent of nearly 

 half a century's standing, Dr. Imray, and to whom we are 

 indebted for both living and dried specimens, the former of 

 which first flowered at Kew in 1862. As a species it is 

 most nearly allied to the common West Indian B. lutea L., 



JANUARY 1st, 1878. 



