subrotundcB, dein transversa, subrotundo-ovales, (ransversim pauloque infe- 

 rivs dehiscentes, labio superiori recto verticali, inferiori undulato quadriloho 

 ciliato. Vertex lanugine alba cinctus. Staminum breviorum anthercE con- 

 formes et dimidio duplove minores. Stylus longitudine staminvm, glaber, 

 apice incurvvs. Stigma verticaliter bilobum. Capsula calyce tunc com- 

 presso rigiduloque transversa, apicc truncata et subretusa, longitudinaliter 

 rugoso-venosa, inferius crassior rigidiorque, nigrescens. Semina inferioH 

 parte receplaculi conferta, subtrigonn, obtusa, punctato-aspera nigra. 

 Funiculus in strophiolam brevem cyathiformam trilobam abit. Albumen 

 tenue, carnosum. Embryo axilis, rectus ; radicula subcylindrica ; cotyle- 

 donibus ovatis. — Vix dubium est, quin Thunbergius sub Ruellice depresscB 

 nomine hanc speciem intellcxerit, scil. calycibus solii nee corollis repertis 

 nee multum, uti scepe illi accidit, inquirens, fiores minutos dixit in descrip- 

 tione. LinncBUS corollce non meminit. — Lehm. in litt. 



A native of the Cape of Good Hope, whence its seeds 

 were brought to Europe by Mr. Ecklon, the celebrated bota- 

 nical collector, and communicated to Dr. Lehmann of Ham- 

 burgh, under whose care it was raised. To that gentleman 

 I am indebted for the accompanying drawing and descrip- 

 tion. It is altogether contrary to my practice to publish 

 accounts of plants that have hitherto only been in foreign 

 gardens ; but the beauty of this species, the evident fidelity 

 of the drawing, the specimen that accompanied it, and 

 the vicinity of Hamburgh to our own shores, have induced 

 me to deviate from the rule ; without however intending 

 that this should be at all drawn into a precedent. 



The species is a greenhouse undershrub ; it was found 

 by Ecklon in the Karroo, near Hermanskraal, on the Great 

 Fish River, flowering from October to December : Burchell 

 met with it on the Roggeveld; and Drege on the Sneeuw and 

 Rhinoster mountains and Zwartruggers. To Mr. Bentham 

 I am indebted for the following observations upon the genus 

 and some of its affinities. 



Tlie genus Aptosimum was considered by Mr. Burchell 

 as allied to Capraria, that is, to the Cape species now formr 

 ing the genus Freylinia ; but the declinate stamina and the 

 conformation of the anthers are very different from that of 



