Tab. 5741. 



APHELANDBA nitens. 

 Glossy -leaved Aphelandra. 



Nat. Ord. Acanthaoe^:. — Didybamia Gymnospebmia. 

 Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tab. 5463.) 



Apuelandba nitens ; glaberrima, caule tereti robusto, foliis breviter et 

 crasse petiolatis crasse coriaceis ovatis subacutis, basi in petiolum de- 

 currentibus margiuibus recurvis supra laete-viridibus nitidis subtus 

 atro-purpureis,spica simplici erecta elongata stricta 4-gona, bracteis 

 imbricatis pollicaribus pallide viridibus ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis 

 serratis concavis carinatis nervosis, floribus miniatis, bracteis subula- 

 tis sepalis subulato-lanceolatis aristato-acuminatis paulo brevioribus, 

 corolla? tubo gracili calycem superaute, limbi labio superiore parvo 

 erecto convoluto inferiore amplo 3-partito lobis obovato-oblongis 

 patentibus integerrimis lateralibus minoribus, staminibus labio supe- 

 riore involutis. 



A near ally of the A. aurantiaca, Lindl. (Tab. nostr. 4224), 

 but a much more beautiful plant, and indeed one of the 

 handsomest of the splendid Order to which it belongs. No- 

 thing can exceed the brilliant glossy polish of the upper sur- 

 face of the leaves, the dark vinous purple of their under sur- 

 face, and the brightness of the vermilion-scarlet of the co- 

 rolla. It is a native of Guayaquil, in New Granada, from 

 whence it was sent to England by Mr. Pearce, when collect- 

 ing for Messrs. Veitch, and flowered in the Royal Exotic 

 Nurseries, Chelsea, in May of the present year. 



Descr. Stem in the specimen figured three feet high, 

 stout, erect, sparingly branched, cylindrical, green, quite gla- 

 brous. Leaves four to six inches long, narrowed into petioles 

 of a quarter to half an inch, exactly ovate, subacute, quite 

 entire, thick and coriaceous, brilliant polished green on the 

 upper surface with impressed veins and recurred margins, 

 beneath deep vinous-purple. Spike terminal, erect, six inches 

 long, one inch in diameter, simple, shortly peduncled, tetra- 



NOVEMBEB 1ST, 1868. 



