17 



ARCTOSTAPHYLOS pungens. 

 Pungent Bearherry . 



DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. Ericaceae. 

 ARCTOSTAPHYLOS. Supra, fol. 1791. 



A. pungens; erecta, ramulis racemis foliisque junioribus temiissime velutinis, 

 foliis ovalibua oblongisque mucronato-puugentibus utrinque acuminatis 

 coriaceis integerrimis, racemis brevibus terminalibus, bracteis acuminatis 

 (setis quam antherse longioribus, ovario 7-loculari.) BeCand. Prodr. 

 7. 584. 



A. pungens, Humb. Bonpl. ^ Kunth. nov. gen. Amer. 3. 836. t. 259. Honker 

 in Bot. Mag. t. 3927. 



A. tomentosa ^, Lindl. in Bot. Reg. sub ^.1791. 



This seems to be a common Mexican shrub, for it occurs 

 in most collections from that country. In appearance it is 

 extremely like Arctostaphylos tomentosa, and an insufficient 

 examination of dried specimens led to the belief that it is a 

 mere variety of that plant. The fresh specimens shew, how- 

 ever, that in addition to a want of the long beard-like hairs 

 of the branches of A. tomentosa, this species has the awns 

 of the anthers longer than the anthers themselves, and only 

 seven cells to the ovary instead of ten. 



Our drawing was made in the garden of the Horticultural 

 Society, to which it had been introduced by Mr. Hartweg, 

 who found it in Mexico, at an elevation of 7^00 to 9000 feet 

 above the sea, forming an evergreen shrub six to eight feet 

 high, with a reddish brown smooth stem and branches, and 

 very hard wood. It was common about Guanaxuato, Real del 

 Monte, Bolanos, and Oaxaca, and is known there under the 

 name of "Pinguica" or " Manzanilla," according to that 

 Botanist. 



Up to the present time it has proved, in cultivation, to be a 

 neat little half-hardy or possibly hardy evergreen shrub, grow- 



