433 
rather coarse, rigid, shortly barbellate, somewhat flexuose, 
very unequal, some of the sete exceeding the corolla; achenia 
oblong with tapering base, 2 mm. long, brown, sharply ribbed. 
Collected in Southern Bolivia by Mr. Miguel Bang (No. 868). 
Perhaps distributed as “« Chuquiragua.” 
VACCINIACEZ:. 
A conclusion as to the generic rank of my fourth and last plant 
is not entirely free from doubt, but I cannot conscientiously de- 
scribe it as a Vaccinium, the only genus which it resembles in 
structure. All generic divisions, both of the Vacciniacee and 
Ericaceze are perhaps radically wrong. We have either far too 
many or far too few genera. If as I consider most probable, the 
present living members of these families represent a vastly greater 
number of extinct species, then the characteristics of the anthers 
constitute good generic characters, and many of our sub-genera 
may properly constitute monotypic or small genera. If on the 
other hand, these characteristics are trifling, there should be a con- 
siderable reduction of the genera. It is greatly to be desired that 
the paleontology of this group should be studied out. 
From Vaccinium our plant differs in its absolutely solitary, 
many-bracted flowers, the pedicel continuous—not articulated— 
with the calyx, the calyx prismatic, and especially by the entire 
placentze. 
VACCINIOPSIS. 
Calyx continuous with the pedicel, the tube turbinate, strongly 
5-angled, the limb broadly campanulate, deeply 5-toothed. Cor- 
olla scarlet, contracted-campanulate, strongly 5-toothed, the teeth 
recurved, within lightly pilose. Stamens 10, not coherent, lightly 
adherent to the base of the corolla, equal and similar, the filaments 
longish, hirsute and incurved above. Anthers adnate, coarsely 
Pilose, the cells obscurely muticous on the back, each abruptly 
contracted into a simple, straight, rigid beak which opens on the 
inner face by an elongated oblique pore, Disk conspicuous, 
elevated, cylindrical, 10-grooved with concave summit. Style 
stout, elongated, of uniform thickness, truncate. Ovary lightly 5- 
lobed, 5-celled, the placente 5, strictly simple, from the inner 
angles, fleshy. Ovules very numerous. Fruit not seen. 
A (parasitical ?) shrub, with much elongated, simple, slender 
branches, alternate, nearly sessile, ovate, 3-5 nerved, fleshy, pale 
leaves, and solitary, nearly sessile, axillary flowers, the pedicel and 
calyx-tube clothed with broad, appressed, imbricated scales. 
