153 



gentlbus, decurrentibus tecti. Folia perpauca, valde 

 caduca, ad basin spitiarum, elliptica, integerrima, basi in 

 petiolum brevem attenuata. Flares fasciculati, parvi, ad 

 basin spinarum inserti, nutantes. Pedunculus flore brevior. 

 Cai?/3^ cylindraceo-campanulatus, corollinus, albidus, basi 

 solunimodo viridis^ obscure decemstriatus, apice quinque- 

 fidus, segmentis patentibus. Petala 0. Stamina 5, fauce 

 intra calycis segmenta inserta. Filamenta brevissima. 

 Antherm subrotundae, subuniloculares, bivalves, rima arcu- 

 ata dehiscentes, valva inferiore minore- Discus annularis, 

 carnosus, revolutus, integer. Pistillum : Germen liberum, 

 ' ovatum, sulcis tribus obscuris longitudinalibus notatum. 

 Stylus filiformis, longitudine fere tubi- Stigma incrassa- 

 turn, parvum, trilobum. 



This, one of the most singular among the many curious 

 plants in Dr. Gillies*s rich collection of South American' 

 plants, was gathered during a hasty visit from the ship to 

 the shores of the Banda Oriental, near Maldonado. It may 

 be considered as constituted of a mass of opposite decussated 

 and decurrent large laterally compressed spines, of the same 

 green colour as the central portion or stem that unites 

 them, and equally woody. The tips are darker coloured, 

 sometimes brown, and very pungent. If the fascicle of 

 flowers appears from any point except that of the base of a 

 spine, it is either at the extremity, or below some slight 

 swelling, and is indicative of a new spine which is about to 

 appear. The leaves are so rare that only one could be found 

 upon any of the specimens, and that upon one of the youngest 

 branches. The form and structure of the flowers are yery 

 similar to those of Colletia ferox. 

 Tab. XLIII. Fig. I, Flower. Fig. 2, Section of the same. 



dull 



Fig. 3, A leaf: — magnified. 



* * Smnis subulatis. 



ffpinosa 



sparsiS; 



calycibus urceolatis, filamentis elongatis exsertis. (Tab. 



xliv. a.) 



