[ 1760 ] 
MENTZELIA OLIGOSPERMA. FEW-SEEDED 
MENTZELIA. 
WER MERE EE RE EEE EE EE 
Cla/s and Order. 
Potyvanpria MonocGyNIA. 
Generic Charaéer. 
Cor. 5-petala. Cal. 5-phyllus. Cap/ infera, cylindrica, poly- 
{fperma. 
Specific Charatter and Synonym, 
MENTZELIA oligo/perma ; caule ramofo, pedunculis axillari- 
bus folitariis, petalis acuminatis, fru€tibus reflexis. 
MENTZELIA oligo/perma. Nutiall in Frafer's Catal. 
4, 
iz 
— 
Descr. This plant is covered in every part, corolla ex- 
cepted, with ftiff hairs, armed their whole length with hooks, fo 
fmall as to be invifible to the naked eye. The effett of thefe 
is to make every part of the plant adhere to whatever comes in 
contaé&t with it, and its different parts to one another, when 
brought together by the wind or other caufe. Thefe hairs are 
fo tranfparent, that, when viewed through a lens, they appear 
as if made of glafs, and to the naked eye give the bark of the 
{tem and branches a filvery appearance. One of them, highly 
Magnified, is reprefented in the plate. 
Leaves alternate, ovate, unequally toothed: teeth mucronate, 
_ Flowers bright orange, axillary, folitary, on peduncles fhorter 
than the germen, which is inferior, Calycine lacime aw\-thaped, 
{preading. Corolla of five fpreading, oval, acuminate petals. 
Stamens about twelve, inferted at the bafe of the corolla. Cap- 
Jule cylindrical, fomewhat curved, one-celled, containing only 
two or three oblong angulated feeds. 7 
Menrze ra oligo/perma is a perennial with a tuberous root, 
was found by Mr. Nurract on the borders of the Miffouri, in 
Upper Louifiana, growing among the rocks, and introduced by 
him in 1812. Communicated by our friend, A. B. Lamurry, 
Efq. from his ftove at Boyton. Flowers in May and June. 
