Tas. 4677. 
GOETHEA STRICTIFLORA. 
Upright-flowering Goethea. 
Nat. Ord. Matvacem. MonapELPHIA POLYANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx campanulatus, abbreviatus, 5-fidus, ixvolucello amplo vesi- 
cario 4—6-partito cinctus et obvallatus. Petala 5, basi subconcreta, estivatione 
spiraliter convoluta. Filamenta numerosa, in columnam longam coalita. Anthere 
(reniformes) uniloculares. Stylus clongatus, in stigmata 8-10 apice fissus. Cocca 
5, coriacea, 1-sperma.—Arbores aut frutices, foliis glabriusculis coriaceis, petiolis 
barbatis, stipulis angustis, floribus speciosis awillaribus in pedunculis unifloris (sepe) 
nutantibus, involucellis coloratis reticulatis vesicariis. De Cand. 
GortHea strictiflora; foliis ovatis acuminatis versus apicem grosse_ sinuato- 
serratis, floribus axillaribus aggregatis erectis brevi-pedunculatis, involucro 
tetraphyllo, foliolis cordatis. 
A very remarkable-looking plant, native of Brazil, sent to us 
by Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, and by Mr. Henderson, St. John’s 
Wood, under the name of Goethea cauliflora of Nees von Esen- 
beck. That it belongs to the genus Goethea (so named in honour 
of the great German poet, Goethe), as defined by Nees von Esen- 
beck and Martius, is clear; and it is generally known that this 
genus is referred by Endlicher and others to Pavonia, in true 
Malvacee, and not to Byttneriacee, where De Candolle has placed 
Goethea, on account of the supposed bilocular structure of the 
cells of the anthers. Whether a distinct genus or not, it 1s quite 
certain that the present plant can neither be the G. cauliflora of 
Nees and Martius, nor his @. semperflorens : the latter has scat- 
tered terminal long-pedicelled flowers, and six bracts to the in- 
voluere ; while the former has oblong entire leaves, and drooping 
(quite pendent) axillary or lateral flowers. Our plant, it will be 
seen, has the leaves broad-ovate and sinuato-dentate, and the: 
flowers invariably erect from the axils of the leaves. The flowers 
are very inconspicuous, and quite concealed by the involucre, 
OCTOBER Ist, 1852. 
