Mr. J. Miers on the Tribe Colletiese. 485 



are rather stout, equal in thickness throughout, of considerable 

 length, and about a line in diameter, the nodes being about 

 1-1^ inch apart ; occasionally a few spines (or stunted branch- 

 lets) are seen, which are nearly erect, deeply striated, with a 

 callous, pungent apex, and are 1-1 i inch long. A capitate in- 

 florescence is seen in the opposite axils of each node of the vir- 

 gate branches ; it is about \ inch in diameter, and consists of 

 an aggregation of small flowers ; the peduncles are extremely 

 short ; the calycine tube is 1 line long, its segments being J line 

 in length, it is 1 line in diameter*. 



3. Retamilia stricta, Hook. Am. Bot. Misc. iii. 173j Retahilla 

 affinis, Clos, in Gay, Chile, ii. 26 ; suffruticosa, sesquiorgyalis, 

 ramosa, ramis e basi plurimis, assurgentibus, ramulis strictis, 

 virgatis, rigidis, erectis, glabris, teretibus, striatulis, fere 

 aphyllis, nodis remotis ; foliis oppositis, parvulis, rarissimis, 

 caducissimis, spathulato-oblongis, carnosis, pilosiusculis, late- 

 ribus canaliculatim reflexis, breviter petiolatis ; stipulis axil- 

 laribus, gibboso-squamiformibus, fuscis, acutis, oppositis, et 

 utrinque linea transversali nexis; ramulo florifero brevi, 

 aphyllo, racemiformi, nodis crebris, floriferis, squamis oppo- 

 sitis munitis; floribus ibi oppositis, solitariis, et hinc quasi 

 racemoso-spicatis ; calyce late cylindrico, carnoso, roseo-albido, 

 extus glabro, intus imo piloso, pilis patentibus, limbi laciniis 5, 

 triangularibus, erectis, demum e basi caduco ; petalis 5, laci- 

 niis sequilongis, ovatis, cucullatis, unguiculatis, erectis, niveis ; 

 staminibus totidem, petalis reconditis, demum inflexis ; ovario 

 oblongo, 3-4-sulcato, stylo incrassato, subulato, tereti, longi- 

 tudine fere tubi, pilosissimo, pilis longis, albis, creberrimis, 

 patentibus; stigmate 3-4-lobo, lobis obtusis, adpressis; 

 fructu globoso, cortice coriaceo, crasso, disco substipitiformi 

 suffulto ; nuce conformi, durissimo, indehiscente, lignoso, 3-, 

 rarius 4-loculari, seminibus nitentibus. Chile. v. v. ad 

 Quintero (Retama et Retamilia incolarum). v. s. in herb. 

 Hook. ; Valparaiso (Cuming, 402) ; in herb. Mus. Paris ; in 

 Prov. Cauquenes (Gay), vernac. Frutilla del Campo. 

 This species, as far as my observation extends, does not grow 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Valparaiso, but at a distance 

 of twenty or thirty miles from that port, near the coast, where 

 the violent surf and the strong incessant trade-wind produce 

 elevated flats of considerable extent, formed of loose drift-sand 

 carried to some distance in-shore ; and it was only in such situa- 

 tions that I met with this shrub, growing among other trees and 

 bushes. It is distinguished by well-marked characters from the 

 preceding species. It grows to a height of 8 or 10 feet, with a 



* This species will be shown in the ' Contributions/ Plate 39 D. 



