Tas. 6720, 
SARMIENTA repens. 
Native of Chili. 
Nat. Ord. GesnERACER.—Tribe CYRTANDRER. 
Genus Sarmienta, Ruiz et Pav.; (Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. ii. p. 1012.) 
SarMrenta repens; fruticulus gracilis, prostratus v. scandens, glaberrimus, caule 
tenui repente, foliis parvulis oppositis carnosis brevissime petiolatis - ovatis 
ellipticis rotundatisve obtusis integerrimis v. paucidentatis, floribus axillaribus 
solitariis gracile pedunculatis coccineis. 
8S. repens, Ruiz et Pav. Prodr. 4; Fl. Per. et Chil. vol. i. p. 8, t. 7; Lamk. 
LEneycl. 904; Mart. Nov. Gen. vol. iii. p. 66, t. 219, f.2; Gay Fl. Chil. 
vol. iv. p. 350; Hanst. in Linnea, vol. xxxiv. p. 480; Fl. des Serres, t. 1646; 
Flor, Mag. vol. ii. t. 112. 
Urcrotanta, Fruillé, vol. iii., Hist. Pl. Med. p. 69, t. 43. 
U. curtensis, Rem. et Sch. Syst. Veg. vol. i. p. 77. 
_. The Flora of the western parts of Chili contains not a 
few subscandent or scandent forest-loving plants with 
scarlet, flowers, as Lapageria rosea (Plate 4447), Philesia 
buxifolia (Plate 4738), Berberidopsis corallina (Plate 5343), 
and Mitraria coccinea (Plate 4462); a fact that may one 
day no doubt be correlated with some other which will 
account for it;—possibly the presence or abundance of 
certain forestral insects whose operations may be necessary 
_ for the fertilization of the plants, and which are attracted 
by the brilliancy of the colouring of these flowers. Again, 
all these have pendulous flowers, a peculiarity which they 
share with the species of another scarlet-flowered genus 
of the same region, the Fuchsias, and with Tricuspidaria 
(Crinodendron), a beautiful shrub belonging to Tiliacee, 
_. which, though introduced into Europe, has not yet been 
figured from cultivated specimens. 
Sarmienta is a monotypic genus, and very closely allied 
to another also monotypic and Chilian one, the above- 
mentioned Mitraria coccinea, which has larger flowers of a 
somewhat similar form; it inhabits the southern provinces 
NOVEMBER lst, 1883. 
