Tab. 7819. 



MINKELERSIA bifloea. 



Native of Mexico, 



Nat. Ord. Leguminos^. — Tribe Phaseole.b. 

 Genus Minkelersia, ilfarf. <fe Gal.', {Benth.^ HooJc.f. 6fe?i. PZan^ vol. i. p. 539.) 



MiNKELEESTA, Mflora ; herba gracilis, volnbilis, radice tnberoso, canle 

 pubescenti-pilos, internodiis longiuscnlis, foliis pinnatim trifoliolatie, 

 fere glabervimis, petiolo elongate, foliolis l-lj poll, longie BubsequaUbuB 

 obtusis lateralibus obliqne ovato-rotandatis, intermedio longius petiolu- 

 lato, ovato jequilatero, stipulis ^ poll, longis ovato-rotundatis obtnsis, 

 stipellis subulatis, pednnculia axillaribus foliis longioribus erectis apice 

 bracteatis et bibracteolatis bifloris, bracteis stipuliB consirailibuB, floribus 

 sessilibus ad \\ poll, longis, calyce pnbescente \ poll, longa, tubo lobis 

 erectis inaequalibus oblongis obtusis breviore.vexillospathnlatoconcavo.alis 

 longe nnguiculatis carinae leviter cohajrentibus lamina oblique rotundata 

 basi semicordata recurva purpurea, carina angusta apice cum styli apice 

 filamentisque spiraliter involntis, ovario angnsto piloso ad 20-ovnlato, stylo 

 gracili glabro apice torto piloso, stigmate parvo ovato, legumine lineari 

 apice pungente teretiusculo polyspermi, valvis subtorulosis. 



M. biflora, Remsl. JDiagn. PL Nov. pars II. p. 48 ; Biol. Cent. Amer. vol, i. 

 p. 308, t. xvi. fig. 1-7. 



Three species of Minlcelersia are known, all Mexican ; 

 namely, M. galactioides, Mart, et Gal., a native of the 

 Cordillera of Oaxaca, at four thousand to six thousand 

 feet elevation ; that here figured, which was discovered by 

 SchaflPner in the Valley of ^Mexico, and a third from the 

 Sierra Madre. The genus is considered by Bentham to 

 be little more than a section of Fhaseolus, distinguished 

 by its longer calyx-lobes, and the elongate petals. It was 

 named in compliment to the Professor of Physics in the 

 University of Louvain, Dr. Minkelers. 



Seeds of M. hijlora were sent to the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew, in 1897, by Dr. J. N. Rose, Assistant Curator of the 

 National Herbarium of the United States of America, at 

 Washington, plants raised from which flowered in a cool 

 house in October, 1900. 



Descr. — Boot tuberous. Stem elongate, very slender, 

 twining, sparsely hairy. Leaves trifoliolate, petiole two 

 to three inches long ; leaflets sub-equal, orbicular-ovate, 



FzBRUAKr IST, 1902. 



