of certain Genera in the Fhra Peruviana. 23t 



lelis, basi solutis, longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ovarium 3-loculare : 

 ovulis indefinitis, Stylus filiformis, glaber. Stigma trifidura : laciniis re- 



curvis, ubtusis, ])ruin()sis. Capsulu 



Herba (Chilensis) elegans. Radix fasciculato-Jibrosa. Caulis erectus, ramosus^ 

 teres, glaber^ bi-v. tripedalis. Folia radicalia^ caulis fere longitudine., basibus 

 membranaceis equitanti-imbricatis disticha, recurvato-patula, linearia^ acumi- 

 tuita.) plana^ nervosa, graminea, submcmbranacea, nervo intermedio magis pro- 

 , minulo, supra basin versus linea dilatatd alba notata, margine cartilagineo, 

 Icevi ; semipollicem v. pollicem lata ; caulina lineari-lanceolata, acuminata, sub- 

 adpressa, 2-4~uncialia. Flores diffus^ paniculati, cyanei. Pedicelli Jili- 

 formes, inarticulati, summo apice dilatati. Bracteolae lanceolata, acuminata, 

 brevissimtB, membranacece. Perianthium basi circumcissd deciduum. Ovarium 

 apici pedicelli fere, immersum, 



1. P. coerulea. 



Anthericum coeruleum, Ruiz et Pav&ii Fl. Peruv. et ChU. 3. p. 67, 



t. 299. f. b. 

 Bermudiana ccErulea, Phalangii ramosi facie, vulgb Illeu. Feuill. Peruv. 



1. p. 712. t. 8. 

 Hab. in Chili locis umbrosis. Feuillie, Ruiz et Pavon, Cuming, y 



Vulgo Illeu. (V. s. sp. in Herb. Lamb.) 



Besides the present, several other plants have been referred 

 to Anthericum by the authors of the Flora Peruviana^ which 

 clearly do not belong to that genus; and among them their 

 Anthericum plumosum and coarctatum are deserving of particu- 

 lar notice, as constituting the rudiments of two new genera ap- 

 parently belonging to the normal group of Asp?iodeIea. The 

 inferior or half-inferior ovarium, and the simple, inarticulate 

 pedicels, have induced me to regard the Conantherece as forming 

 a separate section of the order. The incumbent anthers and the 

 trifid stigma essentially distinguish Pasithea, both from Conan- 

 thera and Cummingia. 



It cannot fail to be remarked, that the triple stigma and the 

 completely inferior ovarium bring this genus very near to the 

 Hypoxidea, affording one among many other proofs that might 

 be adduced of the extreme difficulty, or rather utter impossibi- 

 lity, of establishing absolute characters in Natural History. 



ERCILLA, Ad, Juss, 



Syst. Linn. DECANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 

 Ord. Nat. PHYTOLACE^, Nobis. 



Caiyx 6-phyllu8, basi 3-bracteolatus : foliolis ovalibus, concavis, membrana- 

 ceis. Petala 0. Stamina 10, perigyna; alterna caljcis foliolis opposita : 

 Jilamenta capillaria, glabra : antherce incumbentes, biloculares : loculis pa- 

 rallelis, distinctis, mediante apice filamentorum connatis, utraque ex- 

 tremitate solutis, obtusis. Ovarium breviter pedicellatum, 6-gonum, 

 6-loculare. Styli G, subulati. Strata totidem, simplicia, obtusa, recur- 

 vata, pruinosa. Owia solitaria, erecta, rapheos basi adnata. Bacca (ma- 



