153 



gentibus, decurrentibus tecti. Folia peipauca, valde 

 caduca, ad basin spinarum, elliptica, integerrima, basi in 

 petiolum brevem attenuata. Flores fasciculati, parvi, ad 

 basin spinarum inserti, nutantes. Pedunculus flore brevior. 

 Calyx cylindraceo-campanulatus, corollinus, albidus, basi 

 solummodo viridis, obscure decemstriatus, apice quinque- 

 fidus, segmentis patentibus. Petala 0. Stamina 5, fauce 

 intra calycis segmenta inserta. Filamenta brevissima. 

 AnthercB subrotundae, subuniloculares, bivalves, rima arcu- 

 ata dehiscentes, valva inferiore minore. Discus annularis, 

 carnosus, revolutus, integer. Pistillum : Germen liberum, 

 ovatum, sulcis tribus obscuris longitudinalibus notatum. 

 Stylus filiformis, longitudine fere tubi. Stigma incrassa- 

 tum, parvum, trilobum. 



This, one of the most singular among the many curious 

 plants in Dr. Gillies's rich collection of South American 

 plants, was gathered during a hasty visit from the ship to 

 the shores of the Banda Oriental, near Maldonado. It may 

 be considered as constituted of a mass of opposite decussated 

 and decurrent large laterally compressed spines, of the same 

 dull green colour as the central portion or stem that unites 

 them, and equally woody. The tips are darker coloured, 

 sometimes brown, and very pungent. If the fascicle of 

 flowers appears from any point except that of the base of a 

 spine, it is either at the extremity, or below some slight 

 swelling, and is indicative of a new spine which is about to 

 appear. The leaves are so rare that only one could be found 

 upon any of the specimens, and that upon one of the youngest 

 branches. The form and structure of the flowers are very 

 similar to those of Colletia ferox. 



Tab. XLIII. Fig. I, Flower. Fig. 2, Section of the same. 

 Fig. 3, A leaf: — magnijied. 



* * Spinis suhulatis. 



2. Colletia spinosa ; spinis validis, florum fasciculis sparsis, 

 calycibus urceolatis, filamentis elongatis exsertis. (Tab. 

 XLIV. A.) 



