Pladera. tetrandria monogynia. 401 



-which are again once or oftener dichotomous, all are four- 

 sided, with a thin wing to each angle; height of the whole 

 plant about a span. Leaves opposite, sessile, ovate, entire, 

 three nerved; differing much in size, the largest rarely an inch 

 long. Floivers solitary, in the divisions of the plant, sessile, 

 small, pale red. Calyx sub-cylindric, four-toothed ; teeth 

 acute. Corol with the tube as long as the calyx. Border 

 three-cleft, two of the divisions equal, oblong, and crowded 

 at the apex, the third divided half way down. Filaments 

 four ; three longer, and inserted in the mouth of the tube ; the 

 fourth j ugt below the fissure of the bifid segments of the corol. , 

 Anthers equal, oblong. Germ linear-oblong. Style as long as 

 the stamina. Stigma two-lobed ; lobes large, obovate, thin. 

 Capsule sub-cylindric, nearly as long as the permanent calyx, 

 and hid in it, one-celled, two-valved. Receptacles consist in 

 the incurved margins of the valves, (parietal, and two-lobed.) 

 Seeds numerous, angular, very small. 



2. P. virgata. R. 



Annual, erect, four-sided, branches opposite, alternate. 

 Leaves sessile, lanceolar, three-nerved. Flou-ers terminal, sub- 

 panicled. 



Exacum difTusum. Linn. sp. pi. ed. Willd. i. G37. 



Gentiana diffusa. Valtl. Symbol, iii. 47. 



A beautiful erect, ramous annual ; growing on the banks of 

 water courses, and on low fallow lands. Flowering time the 

 wet season. 



Stem about a foot, or sometimes two feet high, erect, four- 

 sided, ramous, smooth ; inferior branches opposite, above al- 

 ternate, very slender and twiggy. Leaves opposite, sessile, 

 the lower lanceolate, the upper broader, all are pointed, and 

 three-nerved, entire, smooth; size various. Flowers numerous, 

 terminal, peduncled, small, rose-coloured. Calyx four-tooth- 

 ed, permanent. Corol funnel-shaped. Border irregular, three- 

 parted ; the two upper segments equal, and orbicular, the 

 lower one two-parted ; with a deep groove ; in the groove is 

 vol. i. z 



