30 

 COMAROSTAPHYLIS arbutoides. 



Arbutus-like Gritherry. 



DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Ericace^. 



COMAROSTAPHYLIS. Zucc. Calyx quinquefidus. Corolla hj^o- 

 gyna, globoso-campauulata, limbo quinquefitlo, reflexo. Stamina 10, imse 

 corollse inserta ; filamenta brevia ; antherce a latere compressse, dorso infra 

 apicem affixse, reflexo-biaristatse, apice biporosse. Ovarium disco hypogyno 

 cinctum, quinqueloculare, rarius sex-novemloculare, loculis uniovulatis. Sty- 

 lus simplex ; stigma obtusum. Drupa globosa, papillosa, monopyrena, pu- 

 tamine osseo, quiuqueloculari, rarius sex-novemloculari, loculis monospermis. 



Semina inversa. Frutices mexicani; foliis alternis, sempervirentibus, inte- 



gerrimis v. argute serratis, racemis terminalibus simplicibus. Endl. gen. 

 no. 4328. 



C. arbutoides; erecta, ramulis foliis subter paniculisque tomentosis, foliis 

 lineari-oblongis integerrimis mucronulatis virentibus subtus ferrugineiSj 

 bracteis acuminatis pedicellis brevioribus. 



A native of Quezaltenango in Guatemala, this plant has 

 been raised in the garden of the Horticultural Society from 

 seeds received from Mr. Hartweg. It produced its flowers 

 for the first time in October, 1842 ; and is now (May, 1843) 

 again in blossom. 



In some respects it is rather like Comarostaphylis polifolia, 

 but its leaves are much broader and larger and thinner, and 

 they are covered beneath with ferruginous down ; the flowers 

 are in panicles, standing high above the leaves, are four times 

 as large, and are white not crimson. 



In appearance it resembles an Arbutus, but it has a dru- 

 paceous fruit, covered with the tubercles of that genus. It 

 diff*ers from Arctostaphylos in the fruit not being smooth, 

 and in having a five-celled drupe, and from Arbutus in the 

 fruit not being many-seeded. It appears, with some other 

 plants, to form a perfectly well marked genus. 



