THE FLORA OF SOUTH AMERICA. 499 
decurrentibus, parce et molliter pubescentibus; floribus 
speciosis solitariis, axillaribus, cæruleis.—Chile ad Co- 
quimbo. v. s. in herb. Hooker, (Cuming. n. 887). 
This is evidently a succulent prostrate plant, with a fleshy 
stem 3 lin. in diameter, and with axils 1 in. apart ; the leaves 
are 3 in. long, à in. broad, spathulate and decurrent; the 
pedicel is 14 in. long ; the calyx is altogether 9 lin. long, the 
linear segments measuring 5 lin. ; the corolla is 14 in. long, 
with a broad campanular blue border as in S. paradoxa. 
Doctor Lindley mentions having found in one receptacle 7 
drupes, viz: 1-4-celled, and 6-!-celled, in all ten cells: in 
the one I examined I found 4 nuts, each 6-celled, 1-3-celled, 
and 8-1-celled, in all 13 nuts, with 35 cells; it is worthy of 
remark that all the seeds do not produce a perfect embryo. 
7. Sorema linearis (n. sp.) :—herbacea, glanduloso-pilosa, 
demum subglabra; ramulis angulatis; folus linearibus, 
obtusis, hinc decurrentibus ; floribus solitariis, axillaribus. 
- — Chile ad Conceptionem. v. s. in herb. Hooker. (Bridges, 
n. 1323). 
This is probably a procumbent plant; the younger leaves 
are covered with dense glandular tomentum ; they are decur- 
rent on the stem as in the preceding species, 1: in. long, 
2-21 lin. broad; the peduncle is $ to 4 in. long; the calyx is 
short, 5-angular, with lanceolate segments, altogether 5 lin. 
long, and covered with soft pubescence ; the corolla is of the 
same shape, but smaller than that of S. paradoza, and in the 
dried state is of a yellow colour. In one case, I found 2 of 
the nuts 3-celled, 3-2-celled, 15-1-celled, in all 6 nuts with 
27 cells; in another instance I observed 1-4-celled, 1-3-celled, 
3-2-celled, and 5-1-celled, in all 10 nuts with 18 cells. 
From the above details it may be inferred that as the nuts 
differ so constantly in their number, and as in each nut the 
number of cells is so uncertain, differing even in the same 
plant, this feature can no longer be considered a good generid, 
character. 1 have examined the plants above deseri ; 
with much attention, and cannot perceive any mark to ae 
tinguish Alona from Sorema, except that in the former the 
79. o * 
