

175 



the dry membranaceous nature of the petals, and the strait 

 (never convoluted or phcate) cotyledons of the embryo, that 

 to unite tlie two would hardly be consistent with the object 

 of a natural arrangement Macrcsa probably forms a distinct 

 order from any hitherto known, and Chile may yet soon pro- 

 duce other novelties allied to this which will better enable us 

 to refer it to its right place in the system. 



Mr. Lindley considers the stamens to be inserted upon a 

 short torus. To me they appear perfectly hypogynous: and, 

 immediately at the base of each alternate stamen, and al- 

 ternating with the petals, I find a small fleshy pubescent 

 scale or gland. These are so small, however, that their real 

 structure is not to be seen without much difficulty. 



Generic Character, 



MACRiEA. LindL CaL inferus, monophyllus, campanulatus 

 decemcostatus, angulatus, 5 dentatus, dentibus marginatis. 

 Petala 5, hypogyna, obovata, unguiculata, scariosa, per- 

 sistens. S'tom. 10, hypogyna, basiS-glandulosa. Filame)itd 

 filiformia. AnthercE oblongae, basi insertae, biloculares, lon- 

 ■ gitudinaliter deliiscentes. Germen ovale, trilobum. Sti/lus 

 perbrevis. Stigmata 3, linearia, dorso sulcata. Capsula 

 subrotundo-ovalis, 3-^loba, trilocularis, semitrivalvis, valvis 

 loculicidis. Zocw/a disperma. Semina 2 in singuloloculo, 

 receptaculo parvo versus medium axeos inserta, altero 

 ascendente, altero suspenso, globosa, subangulata, fusca. 

 Albumen carnosum, album, copiosum. Embryo filiformis, 

 curvatus. Cotykdones angustae. Badicula elongata, ad 



hilum 



semmis versa. 



H 



Suffrutices aridas. Rami oppositi. Folia opposita, brevissime 

 petiolafa, ovafa, integerrima vel crenata, ptibescentia, snbttts 

 niveo-tomentosa. Paniculae termimUs, dichotomy, breves. 



1. Macraea grandifolia ; foliis subtus griseis glandulosis, venis 

 prominentibus, ramis pubescentibus, peduncuKs folio 

 brevioribus. Lindl 



Ma 

 Ha 



Lindl. in Brande's Journ. v. 25. p. 204, 



VOL. 1. N 



i-L_fc _ 



