61 



GODETIA grandiflora. 



Large-jiowered Godetia. 



OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Onagrace.e. 



GODETIA. Botanical Register, vol. 22. fol. 1849. 



G. grandiflora ; caule erecto, foliis lanceolatis subdenticulatis virescentibus 

 glabriusculis, calycis tubo obconico laciniis duplo breviore, petalis albis 

 basi rubescentibus vix maculatis calyce multo longioribus, autlieris pal- 

 lidis linearibus, stigmatis laciniis liuearibus lutescentibus, fructu lineari 

 4-sulcato tereti pubescente. Lindl, in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 132. 



A native of the North -West coast of North America, the 

 country above all others rich in handsome hardy annuals. 

 Douglas however never met with it, nor does any trace of it 

 appear among' the collections published from the materials of 

 other travellers. It is most nearly allied to G. roseo-alba, a 

 plant the origin of which is not well ascertained. 



The flowers are the largest of any, and have a peculiarly 

 delicate texture. The plant forms a hush about two feet 

 high, less spreading than G. Lindleyana ; it flowers in July 

 and August. 



There are those who would reunite the genus Godetia 

 with Oenothera, from which it has been separated by M. 

 Spach : but we think that botanist right for once, and that 

 Godetia is really quite a distinct genus. Its technical cha- 

 racter consists in its seeds having an appendage in the form 

 of a shallow membranous cup, which no doubt represents the 

 tuft of hairs peculiar to Epilobium ; but its constitutional 

 difi^^rences are also remarkable. Its flowers are never yellow, 

 as in true Qilnothera, and what is remarkable there is in 

 almost every species a distinct indication of a deeper blotch 

 or spot a little below the middle of each petal, and where this 

 is not evident the general colour of the petal becomes darker 

 at that place. This constant tendency must be an indication 

 of some remarkable physiological pecidiarity, although we 

 cannot explain its nature, and such indications are by no 

 means to be overlooked in determining the limits of genera. 



Unfortunately no seed was saved of this handsome annual, 

 which was raised from seeds obtained from North- West 

 America by the late Mr. Moreton Dyer. 



