THE BOTANY OF SOUTH AMERICA. 189 



7. Petunia ovalifolia (n. sp.) ; — suffruticosa, subglabra ; foliii 

 obovatis, erectis, utrinque scabrido-punctatis, margine sca- 

 brido-ciliatis, sessilibus, rachi prominenti basi valde tumido, 

 supra venis impressis, subtus evanidis; pauciflora, pe- 

 dunculo axillari folio dimidio longiore, corollae tubo calycem 

 5-partitura vix excedente, limbo expanso dense purpureo- 

 interdum pallidiori, lobis ovalibus emarginatis. — Rio de la 

 Plata et Brasilia meridionali. — v.s.in herb. Hooker. Banda 

 oriental ad Coloniam, (Tweedie, n. 286). Viamonte, Prov. 

 Rio Grande, {rwpibus siccis s Tweedie, n. 287 j. Rio Grande, 

 {Isabelle). 



This is a plant differing in its aspect from all other species, 

 it has a woody repent root, with erect branches about 6 inches 

 in height, the internodes being shorter than the leaves, 

 which are sessile, erect, cuneately ovate, 7 lines long, and 

 nearly 4 lines broad, the midrib is prominent below, termi- 

 nating on the stem in a tumid pulvinate swelling, they are 

 covered on both sides with short, rigid, spreading pubescence, 

 the margins ciliate ; the pubescence of the peduncle and 

 calyx is similar, but often terminating in a viscid gland; 

 the peduncle is 9 lines long, the calyx 5 lines, cleft half-way 

 into 5 angular, somewhat oblong and obtuse segments ; 

 the tube of the corolla is 6 lines long, swelling towards the 

 mouth, with a broad spreading border nearly f of an inch 

 m diameter, divided into 5 oblong emarginate lobes of a 

 deepish purple colour : the capsule is smooth, obovate, 

 shorter than the persistent calyx that encloses it, the valves 

 being entire, with a notch in the apex of each.* 

 8 » Petunia viscidula. — Nierembergia viscidula, HBK. 7, 205 ; 

 — herbacea, procumbens, tenuissime viscidulo-hirtella, 

 foliis subsessilibus, lanceolatis, vel oblongo-spathulatis ; 

 floribus solitariis, axillaribus, breviter pedunculatis, corollee 

 tubo calycem laciniis foliaceis spathulatis subaequante. — 

 Mexico, in hort. cult. 

 Nothing seems to be known of this plant beyond the 



* A figure of this plant is given in Plate 24 of the " Illustrations of 

 South American Plants." 



