ILLUSTRATIONS 



OF 



SOUTH AMERICAN PLANTS 



WiTHERINGIA. 



The following observations will I hope serve to tlirow some 

 light upon this hitherto obscure genus. It always appeared to 

 me that the Witheringia pida, as figured by Martius (Nov. Gen. 

 tab. 227), must either form the type of a very distmct group, or 

 be considered as a very good illustration of that genus, for which 

 reason I refrained from pubhshing what I had long ago observed 

 on the subject, until I could satisfy myself of the absolute cha- 



w. 



Under this un- 



certainty (in a note, hnj. op. vol. i. p. 33) I aUuded to the 

 unsuccessful search I had everywhere made for some specimen, or 

 better details, of the plant in question, so as to be able to com- 

 prehend the limits and features of the genenc character ot 

 Witheringia, and I expressed my regret that the original type no 

 longer existed in L'Hcritier's herbarium in the Bntish Museum, 

 as that would at once have cleared up this ambiguity. Vr. 

 Sendtner has since come to a more decided conclusion, by pro- 

 Dosinff Martius's nlaut before alluded to as the type of a new 



enaa 



ounds he holds it distinct from Withering 



that he has given any determined limits of this latter genus. 

 From observations lately made, it appears to me that farther 



VOL. II. 



