271 



Island of Madeira by my friend Mr. Lowe. Tliey vary some- 

 what in size ; but, in all, the lower of the two leaves is very 

 large in proportion to the size of the plant, and is as large, 

 as orbicular, and as delicate in structure as those of the 

 Hahenaria orbiculata of North America. 



Tab. LV. Fig. 1, Plant: — nat. size. Fig. 2, Flower and 

 bractea. Fig. 3, Anther and stigma. Fig. 4, Labellum ; 

 — more or less magnified. 



[TAB. LVL] 



ON A NEW SPECIES OF CASTELA; 



Communicated by Dr. Nicholson, from Antigua. 



DlCECIA OcTANDRA. Nat. Ord. OCHNACE^. DC. 



Gen. Char. Cat. parvus, 4~fidus. Pet. 4, ovalia, con cava, 

 patentia, dentibus calycinis alternantia. Masc: Stam. 

 8, disco hypogyno parvo inserta: Filam. filiformia: An- 

 thercB inversae. Pistillum abortivum, minutum. F^m. : 

 Stam. abortientia 8, filamentis brevibus. Pist. globosum, 

 profunde 4-lobum, disco hypogyno insertum : Stylus vix 

 ullus: (S^M7WZ«ta 4, recurvata, basi unita. Z)r?<p(® 4, patentes, 

 e lobis 4 germinis, demum liberis. Albumen tenue. Coty- 

 ledones foliaceae. Radicula supera. — Planta valde amara. 



Castela Nicholsoni, {Hook. MSS.) foliis ellipticis mucronu- 

 latis subtus ramulisque incano-sericeis, spinis axillaribus, 

 staminibus hirsutis. (Tab. LVI.) 



Hab. In collibus aridis calcai-feis Insulae Antiguae, ubi Goat- 

 bush Nigritiis vulgo appellatur. Th. Nicholson, M. D. 



Frutex 4-pedalis vel ultra, sempervirens. Caulis ramosissi- 

 mus; rami patentes, spinis brevibus axillaribus armati, 

 ramulis teretibus, incano-sericeis. Folia alterna, sparsa, 

 hie illic fasciculata, subsessilia, coriacea, elliptica, supra 

 nitida aeruginosa, subtus incano-sericea, marginibus re- 

 volutis, apiceque mucronata. Flores parvi, crocei, dioici. 



T 2 



