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Mirbelia Reticulata, Netted-Leaved 



MlRBELIA. 



-#- *■ * * »»♦♦»♦#*♦♦ ♦ ♦ * 



Clafs and Order. 

 Decandria Monogynia. 



Generic Charatler. 



Cat. 5-fidus, bilabiatus. Cor. papilionacea. _ Stylus recurvus 

 bafi crafTiflimus, gerrnine brevior. Stigma capitatum. Legumen 

 ventricofum biloculare ! difpermum. Smith. 



Specific Name and Synonyms. 



MIRBELIA reticulata. Smith in Ann. of Bot. v. 1. p. 511. 



Ventenat Malmaif. t. 1 1 9. franf. Linn. Soc. v. g» 



p. 265. 

 PULTFATyEA rubttefolia. Bot. Repof. t. 351. 



Descr. Stem ftirubby, low, branched, fpreading; branches 

 generally by thre.es. Leaves ufually ternate, fometimes only 

 «n oppofite pairs, fubfeffile, linear-lanceolate, acute, fmooth, 

 reticulately veined, fubrepand. Inflorefcence verticillate : whorls 

 3~6 flowered. Peduncles fhorter than calyx with two fmall 

 katies. Calyx bilabiate, punaate. Upper-lip two-lobed, lobes 

 truncated. Lower-lip trifid, fegments diftant. Corolla papi- 

 lionaceous, bluifli purple. Vexillum nearly round with the 

 apex reflexed : claw green, which colour is continued almoft 

 to the middle of the vexillum : al<e fomewhat fhorter than this, 

 with their margins rolled inwards: carina of two diftinft petals 

 hardly longer than the claw of the alae. Germen ovate, acu- 

 minate, grooved at the back : Jiyle fhort, recurved : Jligma 

 blunt, fwelling after the efflorefcence is paft. Legutnen fome- 

 what inflated, with the dorfal margins fo much inflexed as to 

 divide the pod into two cells. We did not obferve that both 

 margins were inflexed as Ventenat defenbes ; to us the 

 diffepiment appeared to be formed by the dorfal margins only. 



This is a pretty delicate little fhrub, and produces its bright 

 Purple flowers through moll of the fummer months. Is pro- 

 Plated by feeds, which it ripens with us. Is apt to penfh in 

 winter by damp, if not kept in a very airy part of the green- 

 We. Native of New-Holland. Communicated by Mr. 



I'ODDICES* 



