Osheckia. octandria monogynia. 223 



ry much like the former species, virens, that I was for 

 some time inclined to consider them only varieties of one 

 species, but attentive examinations made at various 

 times, give me reason to think they are sufficiently dis- 

 tinct. In the former, virens, the leaves continue green 

 when dry, and are destitute of the two small, hollow 

 glands on the base of the lower pair of veins, one on each 

 of the lower ends of the rib, or nerve, which particular- 

 ly mark flavescens. The panicles except those that ter- 

 minate the twigs, are in this perfectly axillary ; in that far 

 above the axills, and their insertions accompanied by two 

 or three, vertically situated knobs or buds, as in some 

 species of Cappai-is, &c. There the germ has never more 

 than four ovula, inserted by pairs on opposite sides near 

 the bottom of the cell ; here are from eight to twelve 

 ovula in the germ, inserted on opposite sides of the cell, 

 from the base to near the top. There the stigma is large 

 and more or less two-lobed ; here simple. In other res- 

 pects they agree so well, that it seems unnecessary to 

 figure more o^ flavescens, than the back of the base of one 

 leaf, to shew the two glands. 



OSBECKIA. Schreb. gen. n. 635. 

 Calyx from four to five-cleft ; lobes separated with 

 a fringed scale. Corol from four to five-petalled. An- 

 thers beaked. Capsule four-celled, girt with the tube 

 of the calyx. 



1. O. zeylanica. Willd. 2. 300. 



Annual, bristly. Leaves petioled, oblong, bristly. 

 Flowers axillary, and terminal. 



A native of Ceylon. 



Stem annual, erect, four-sided, the angles armed with 

 erect bristles. Branches opposite, stem-like ; whole height 

 about one foot. Leaves opposite, short-petioled, oblon;^, 

 entire, fringed, bristly on both sides. Flowers axillary, 



