In times of scarcity the root is eaten, boiled and raw, by the 

 goat-herds, orchil-gatherers, and fishermen of the Desertas. 



The genus Monizia was named in honour of Senhor J. M. 

 Moniz, a zealous Madeiran botanist, and cultivator of the na- 

 tive plants of the islands. It is so closely allied to Thapsia, 

 that in the absence of fruit it was referred to that genus in 

 the ' Genera Plantarum ' of Mr. Bentham and myself ; but 

 after a careful examination of fresh specimens, I am disposed 

 to retain the genus, which differs from Thapsia in its singu- 

 lar habit, well-developed involucral bracts, and the thick 

 ribs of the fruit, the lateral secondary of which are very 

 much incrassated and corky when ripe, with no disposition 

 whatever to produce wings. Melanoselinum, again, a genus 

 founded upon the other Madeiran caulescent Umbellifer 

 (Thapsia dmpicns), may be distinguished from both Monizia 

 and Thapsia by the large-cut involucral bracts, the notched 

 petals with inflexed lacinulse, the toothed edges of the wings 

 of the carpels, and the Palm-like stem ; it is, however, much 

 nearer to the two Mediterranean Thapsias than Monizia is. 

 — J. J). H. 



Pig. 1. Eeduced view of whole plant. 2. Portion of caudex. 3. Branch 

 of umbel. 4. Portion of leaf. 5. Plower. 6. Fruit. 7. Transverse sec- 

 tion of mericarp : — all but 5 and 7 of the natural size. 



