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DlOSMA OVATA. OVAL-LEAVED DlOSMA. 



Clafs and Order. 

 Pentandria Monocynia. 



Generic Characler. 



Cor. 5-petala. Neclaria 5, fupra germen. Cap/. 3, feu 5, 

 coalitae. Sent, calyptrata. 



Specific Characler and Synonyms. 



DlOSMA (mat a ; foliis oppofitis glabris ovatis integcrrimis 



margine revolutis fubtus ferrugineo-pun&atis, floribus axil- 



laribus folitariis geminifque. 

 DlOSMA watts foliis ovatis glabris marginatis, floribus axil- 



laribus folitariis et geminis. Thunb. Prod. 43. ^ Willi. Sp. 



PL 1. p. 1139. Perfoon Syn. 1. p. 247. Hart. Kew. ed. alt. 



2.^.33. Bot. Repof. 464. 

 DlOSMA pulcbdla. Hottuyn Linn. Pfl. Syjl. 3. p. 288. t. 21. f. 2. 



This fpecies of Diosma has confiderable affinity with pulchclld 

 (Mo. 1357), but its leaves are oppofite, quite entire at the 

 margin, are more obtufe, and, efpecially when dry, are rolled 

 back at the fides, which makes them appear much narrower 

 than they really are ; the dotting underneath conhfts of fenu- 

 gineous, not, as in that of pulchella, of pellucid glandular points: 

 the flowers are more fcattered and not collefted towards the ex- 

 tremities of the branches ; petals white within fide, but being 

 tipped with red on the outfide, the plant looks the prettieft when 

 many of the flowers are yet unexpanded. 



The leaves both of auata and pulchella are particularly ftrong- 

 fcented, and are, with perhaps feveral other fpecies of Diosma, 

 indifcriminately ufed by the Hottentots, under the name of 

 Bucku, mixed with greafe, to perfume their bodies with. 



Communicated 



