S40 Mr D. Don on the Characters and JffiiMes 



minated Symphytea, comprehending Symphytum, Onosma^ 

 Onosmodium, Ceriiithe, Mertensia and Ptihnonaria, having a 

 tubular, truncate corolla, with very short lobes, and the inflo- 

 rescence rarely revolute. The third are the Lithospermea, ha- 

 ving an open tubular corolla, with broad, mostly rounded lobes, 

 and the stamina often exserted, consisting of Lithospermum, 

 Messerschmidia, Batschia, the present genus, Moltkia, Echlum 

 and Lycopsis. The fourth are the Bughssece, having a salver- 

 shaped corolla, with the mouth closed with vaulted processes, 

 comprising Anchusa; Myosotis, Omphalodes, Cynoglossum, and 

 Asperugo. The fifth are the HeUotropecB, consisting of Helio- 

 tropium, Tournefbrtia, and Tiaridium, agreeing in the form of 

 their flower, with the last group, but remarkable for the plicate 

 limb of their corolla, and for their connate fruit, approaching the 

 simple drupe of Cordiacece, to which they may very properly 

 be considered as forming the transition. To the latter family 

 belongs Cortesia of Cavanilles, which does not seem to be gene- 

 rically different from Beurreria of Jacquin. The mode of in- 

 florescence in CordiacetE, their parted style, and the nature of 

 their albumen, connects them on the one hand with Convolvu- 

 lacece, and on the other with Hydroleacea, and from this last to 

 the PolemoniacecB the transition is pretty evident. 



NIEREMBERGIA, Ruiz et Pavon. 



Petunia, Juss. 



NicoTiANiE, sp. Auct. 



Syst. Linn. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Ord. Nat. SOLAN E^, Br. 



Calyx profundi S-fidus : lobis ligulatis, foliaceis. Corolla hypocrateriformis ; 

 fauce nunc ventricosa : limbo patenti, 5.1obo, 5-plicato. Stamina 5, tubo 

 inserta, parum insequalia : filamenta caj)illaria, glabra, inferne adnata : 

 antherce subrotundae, bilobre, biloculares : loculis basi pariim divergenti- 

 bus, apice distinctis, rinid longitudinal! exterius dehiscentibus. Ovarium 

 biloculare, basi disco cyathiformi cinctum. Stylus ancipiti-comjiressus, 

 glaber, apice dilatatus. Stigma reniforme, compressum, v. capitatuni, vis- 

 cidum, nunc minutissime papillosum : lobis connato-applicatis, margine re- 

 volutis, subinde quasi sulco medio exaratis- Capsule ovata, bilocularis : 

 valvulis bifidis. Dissepimentum contrariura (facie ad caulem), undique 

 rumpens, tandem solutum. Placentce 2, septo adnatse. Semina subreni- 

 formia : testa crustaeea, scrobiculata : albumen carnosum. Embryo teres, 

 arcuatus, albus : cotyledones lineari-oblongae, plano-convexae : radiculd cylin- 

 dricS, cotyledonibus paulo longiori, obtusa, hilo proxima. Herb8e(Amer. 

 Austr.) glandulosa, radice fibrosis scepius annua. Folia sparsa^ integerrimay 

 nunc rarb subopposita. Flores solitarii, pedunculati, speciosi, albi v. purpurei. 



