[7] 



148 



smooth simple stems, to the height of from 12 to 25 feet, with a 

 panicle of scarlet flowers near the summit. It differs slightly from 

 the figure and description of Kunth, but seems to be the same plant. 

 The leaves are obovate-oblong, glabrous and membranaceous, grow- 

 ing in fascicles in the axils of the spines. The spines are from a 

 half an inch to near an inch in length, slender, more or less spread- 

 ing, or even somewhat recurved. At the base of each is a longitu- 

 dinal protuberance which extends along the stem until it reaches 

 the spine, which is on a line with it below. The panicle is usually 

 contracted and elongated, but sometimes short, and almost corym- 

 bose. The flowers are on short pedicles which are furnished with 

 deciduous bracts. Sepals 5, nearly orbicular, concave, strongly 

 imbricated, persistent, about one fourth the length of the corolla. 

 Corrola about three-fourths of an inch long; the tube cylindrical, 

 and often curved; limb 5-cleft, with ovate rather acute segments. 

 Stamens 13 to 16 exserted, hypogynous; the filaments thickened 

 and somewhat coherent at the base; anthers linear-oblong, mucro- 

 nate. Ovary 3-celled, with about 6 ascending anatropous ovules 

 in each cell; style 3-parted below the middle. Capsule oblong, 

 acute, obtuse, triangular, coriaceous and glabrous, 3-valved, locu- 

 licidal, straight, or little curved, 1-celled by the separation of the 

 valves from ihe triangular axis. Seeds 3 to 6, white, ovate, pel- 

 tate, much compressed, with a broad winged margin, which is an 

 expansion of the testa, and which finally is resolved into numerous 

 fine hairs. These are beautiful objects under the microscope. They 

 are spiral vessels consisting of an extremely delicate sheath, con- 

 taining the loosely coiled thread which frequently ramifies with 

 anastomosing branches. The whole testa is formed of these sin- 

 gular vessels. Embryo nearly as large as the seed; cotyledons fo- 

 liaceous; radicle pointing downward. There can be little doubt of 

 the propriety of uniting Bronnia and Fouquiera. Each genus was 

 founded on a single species, and both plants seem to be very little 

 known to European botanists. Of the former the flowers are im- 

 perfectly described, and of the latter the fruit is unknown. Our 

 plant partakes of the characters of both genera. In the ovary the 

 placenta? meet in the axis, but only slightly cohere; finally they 

 unite, but in fruit the valves of the capsule separate from the axis, 

 to which the seeds remain attached. As to the affinities of Fou- 

 quiera, I am inclined to adopt the opinion of Lindley, that it is 

 very near Polemoniacese, and particularly to Cantua. It differs, 

 however, in its distinct imbricated sepals, (which are exactly those 

 of convolvulus,) more numerous and hypogynous stamens; and 

 very sparing albumen, as well as in habit. It is certainly very un- 

 like Frankeniaceffi, to which it is appended by Endlicher. Kunth 

 placed it among genera allied to Portulacacea?. 



CONVOLVULACEiE. 



Ipomcea leptophylla, Torr. in Frem. 1st report, p. 94. Upper 

 part of the Arkansas and head waters of the Canadian. The stems 

 are often erect, about two feet high, and of a bushy appearance. 



