V 



165 



the axils of opposite and connate spines, which are larger 

 than the leaves. At first, indeed, the spines appear to be 

 of nearly the same texture, or they are even more thin, 

 and approaching to membranaceous, especially at the mar- 

 gins, where they are ciliated. They gradually, in age, 

 become longer, narrower, more terete and indurated, 

 yellow, brown, and woody, often bifid. The leaves are 

 never ciliated : in shape they have some similarity to those 

 of Saxifraga oppositifolia. The corolla is about half as 

 long again as the calyx, and varies from a white to a lilac 

 colour. 



12. Verbena caspitosa, {Gill, et Hook.); fruticosa, ramis 

 brevibus densissime caespitosis, ramulis brevissimis, foliis 

 connatis oblongis obtusis supra canaliculatis appresso- 

 pilosis, spinis oppositis connatis subulatis rigidis integris, 

 capitulis bifloris. 



Hab. In " Paramillo de Uspallata : " alt. 9500 ped. Gillies 

 et Cruickshanks. — Llareta Incolarum. 



This has the habit of the last species, but with a far more 

 densely compacted habit; the leaves, too, are large and 

 clothed with appressed hairs. Here, as in the V. seriphioides, 

 many of the young shoots are wholly clothed with spines, at 

 first green, hairy, and soft, at length becoming rigid, and 

 throwing out from their axils short ramuli, wholly clothed 

 with leaves. The root is very thick and woody. Two 

 flowers are produced together within two connate ciliated 

 concave bracteae. Sti/le swollen at the base, and jointed 

 upon the top of the germen. 



13. Yevheua asparagoides, {Gill, et Hook.); foliis fasciculatis 

 hneari-oblongis obtusis pubescentibus majoribus rcvolutis, 

 spinis tripartitis, capitulis paucifloris, bracteis lanceolatis 

 dentibusque calycinis spinosis, floribus pubescentibus. 



Hab. In summum fere jugum " Uspallata:" apud " Cerro 

 del Portezuelo:" alt. 10,000 ped. 

 Here, too, the spines in a young state have a foliaceous 



