34 



attached by the back, projecting a three-winged seminal phlage, 

 densely beset with innumerable minute horizontal ovules. 



This is probably a vespertine species. The stem and leaves change 

 to a dark brown in drying. 



November 20, 1859. 



President in the Chair. 



Dr. Kellogg described a new species of Fouquieracece, brought from 

 Lower California, by Dr. J. A. Veatch. 



Idria, (Kellogg). — Sepals five, colored, two exterior roundish entire 

 or emarginate ; corolla cylindrical, tube straight, limb erect, five-parted, 

 style included, very short, thick or slightly clavate, sub-three-angled, 

 undivided. 



J. columnaria, (Kellogg). — Calyx colored (light straw yellow) con- 

 sisting of five sepals in two series — the two exterior orbicular emar- 

 ginate, three interior rounded — obcordate, rigid, concave, closely imbri- 

 cated about half the length of the tube. Corolla half an inch long, 

 erect, segments of the limb rounded, subauricled at the base. Sta- 

 mens ten, (rarely more) filaments thickened and somewhat flattened, 

 free (or rarely slightly adherent in parcels) geniculated, papillose, 

 pubescent below, naked and attenuated above, somewhat unequal. 

 Anthers oblong-cordate, mucronate, fixed below the middle, introrsc, 

 mostly erect, versatile, opening laterally. Embryo triangular acute, 

 three-valved, three-celled, loculicidal, a portion of the placenta parting 

 and adhering to the center of each valve. Ovules ascending in a 

 double row in each cell, about three in a row, or six in a cell, con- 

 sisting of about eighteen. Ovules neither winged nor margined, sub- 

 an,o-ular (?) with two flattish sides, somewhat rounded on the back, 

 obiong-cuneate, warped, scarcely sub-acute at the apex. Mature fruit 

 unknown. Panicles about a foot in length, without spines. 



This singular columnar tree grows to the height of twelve to fifteen 

 feet, and is about ten inches to a foot in diameter. Its appearance is 

 quite unique, being almost entirely destitute of branches, save the ter- 

 minal erect arms, sometimes present, which abruptly crown the top of 

 the trunk and support the long panicles of flowers ; these floral branches 

 or panicles are usually from a foot to eighteen inches in length, and 

 being annual they dry up, and persistently remain from year to year, 

 • stuck or imbedded in the body, as if placed in pits artificially ; finally, 

 from erect becoming horizontal, and at length refracted. 



The tree is spineless and rather smooth, of a soft and spongy tex- 



