Tas. 8485, 
RUELLIA HARVEYANA., 
Mezico. 
ACANTHACEAE. ‘Tribe RUELLIEAE. 
Ruewia, Linn. ; Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 1077. 
Ruellia (Eu-Ruellia) Harveyana, Stapf; species nova R. Jacteae, Cav., affinis 
sed sepalis magis herbace's singulo fotiaceo-ampliato, coro!lae tubi parte 
cylindrica duplo longiore, lobis haud latioribus quam longis differt. 
Herba perennis, caulibus gracilioribus prostratis vel adscendentibus, apicem 
versus pilis patulis dense hirsutis, inferne calvescentibus, internodiis 
superioribus saltem superne quadrangulis, inferioribus teretibus, Folia 
petiolata, oblonga vel elliptico-oblonga, utrinque acuta vel ba-i breviter 
cuneatim at‘: nuata, 5-8 cm. longa, 2°5-3 cm. lata, membranaces, utrinque 
pilis longiusculs micantibus molliter sed supra densius adpresse hirsuta ;, 
petioli graciles, 0-8-1°5 em. longi, hirsuti. lores in cauliui vestigiis ex 
axillis foliorum sigillatim orti, sessiles. Sepala valde inaequalia, sin- 
gulum late lanceolatum, foliaceum, ad 2 cm. longum, caetera lineari- 
subulata vix ad 1°5 cm. longa, hirsuta vel praeter margines ciliatas 
subglabrese-ntia. Corolla lilacina in ore tuboque albida; tubi pars 
cylindrica 2 cm. longa, parte ampliata aequilonga; lobi elliptico-rotundati, 
subaequales, 1°5-1'7 em. longi. Antherae sagittatae loculis basi acutis, 
2 mm. longae. Ovarium glabrum; stylus 3 em. longus, patule pilosus ; 
stigmatis lobus inferior 2 mm. longus. Capsula estipitata, oblongo- 
lanceolata, subacuta, 1:2 cin. longa, glabra, 4-sperma. Semina sublenti- 
cularia, 3°5 mm, lata, pilis humefactis elastive expansis vestita.—O. Starr. 
The Ruellia here figured was originally discovered by Mr. 
J. C. Harvey .in forests on the northern or Atlantic side of 
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in 1904. In 1911 Mr. Harvey 
sent to Kew, from his garden at Sanborn, Vera Cruz, a living 
plant which flowered in August 1912 and provided the 
material for our plate. In a warm house, under the con- 
ditions suitable for Begonias and Gesneriads, R. Harveyana 
has grown freely and formed a trailing shrub of somewhat 
straggling habit. In its native forests, Mr. Harvey informs 
us, its flowers, though usually coloured as in our plate, ale 
sometimes white. &. Harveyana belongs to a group of 
species of Ruellia where there is much confusion. Among 
_ these it approaches most closely that usually known as £. 
lactea, Cav., described and figured by Cavanilles in 1794 
from a Mexican plant growing in the Madrid garden, stated 
to have corollas of a blue so diluted that they might almost 
Manca, 19138, - 
