186 THALAMIFLOU^. 



neatb. Stipules interpetiolary, deltoid, hairy : common petiole 

 terete, silky. Peduncles axillary, about the length of the leaf, 

 filiform, pubescent, 1 -flowered. Flowers large, showy, yellow. 

 Sepals i an inch in length, lanceolate, nerved, hairy. Petals 

 broad towards the apex. Stamens 10; anthers oblong and 

 much compressed, opening at the sides. Ovary ovate, setose 

 with long white hairs ; styles 3, short, united into 1 ; stigmata 

 oblong, puberulo-papillose, yellow. Carpels 5, united into a 

 globose 3-angular capsule, muricated with herbaceous spines or 

 tubercles, hairy. 



This is a very showy plant when in flower. It blossoms in 

 great profusion after rains, so that the pastures about Kingston 

 appear at times, from the neighbouring hills, as if covered with 

 a bright yellow carpeting. Poultry are very fond of the flowers 

 and seeds of this plant, and are said to acquire a superior 

 flavour, and to become fat from feeding on them. This would 

 appear to be an introduced plant, as it is rather limited in its 

 locality, and has not been noticed by either Sloane or Browne. 



2. Tribulus decolor. Pale-flow ei'ed Turkey-Blossom. 



Leaves 3-4-jugate, the outer leaflets tlie largest, 

 pedicels shorter than the leaf, carpels unarmed con- 

 nected into a 10-ribbed, 10-seeded fruit. 



T. terrestris major, floi'e raaximo odorato, Sloane, I. 209. t. 

 132. f. 1. — T. foliis senis pinnatis, floribus singularibus, 

 Browne, 220. t. 21. f. 3. — T. maximus, Jacq. Ic. Rar. t. 462. 

 —Lam. III. t. 346. f. 2. 



HAB. Common on the dry sandy situations. 



FL. After rains. 



Stems procumbent, subterete, somewhat succulent, slightly 

 tinged with red, pubescent, somewhat swollen as if jointed at 

 the situation of the leaves. Leaflets shortly petiolulated, ovato- 

 oblong, apiculated, ciliated, pubescent beneath, nerveless with 

 exception of the mid-rib : petiole sub-3-gonal, terminating in a 

 subulate hairy apicula. Stipules a pair to each leaf, lineari- 

 subulate, ciliated. Peduncles axillary, solitary, at first shorter 

 than the leaf, afterwards as the fruit ripens elongating, one- 

 flowered. Flowers of a pale tawny buif colour, much smaller 

 than those of the preceding species, slightly fragrant. Sepals 

 subulate, thick, hairy, persistent. Fruit inversely pear-shaped, 

 with an acuminate blunt beak; the lower portion JO-ribbed, 

 (the ribs tuberculated), lO-seeded or fewer from some of the 

 carpels having the seeds abortive. 



I have changed the specific designation from maximus, as the 

 flowers are by no means remarkable for their size, not being 

 one third that of the T. cistoides. The capsule has some 

 resemblance in fox-m to that of the genus Thunbekgja, but 

 inverted. 



