2 MR. J. MIERS ON THE GENUS ATAMISQUEA. 
2-fido, et lateraliter dente utrinque notatus. Petala sex, inzequalia, lineari-spathulata, intüs villosa, 
extüs lepidota, reflexa, zestivatione subimbricata, duobus lateralibus brevioribus, exterioribus, et cum 
sepalis alternis, duobus superioribus post anthesin reliquis erectioribus ; omnia è margine tori orta. 
Stamina novem, quorum sex fertilia, disco gibbo tenui annulari thecaphorum cingenti adnata: fila- 
menta glabra, æstivatione replicata, demüm recta, sursüm declinata, basi glandulä liberä, obovata, 
carnosä, hirsutissimä, et sparse lepidotä munita; tribus sterilibus reliquis brevioribus, fertilibus peta- 
lis longioribus: anthere basifixæ, loculis duobus coriaceis obliqué adnatis intüs longitudinaliter 
dehiscentes, demüm curvatæ. Thecaphorum & basi tori sublateraliter ortum, declinatum, basi am- 
pliatum, glabrum, disco annulari staminifero cinctum, hinc geniculatum, indé gracile elongatum, et 
sursüm inflexum, longitudine staminum, et cum ovario apicali lepidotum. Ovarium ovatum. Stylus 
brevissimus. Stigma obtusè bilobum. . Bacca ovoidea, stylo apiculata, densé lepidota, 1-locularis, 
pulpä parca farcta, post siccationem in valvas quatuor pressione solubilis, sed non dehiscens; replo * 
epicarpio delapso persistente. Semina 2 (vel abortu unicum), exalbuminosa, cochleato-reniformia, in 
pulpa subsuccosá funiculo libero erecto bifurcato ex imo loculo orto lateraliter appensa. Testa 
coriacea, loculo altero incompleto hilo opposito. Embryo campylotropus: cotyledones magne, folia- 
ceæ, incumbentes, invicem plicato-convolute: radicula teres, infera, loculo simulato celata, et ob 
embryonis curvaturam, hilum superné spectans. 
Frutex durus, ramosus, Americe Meridionalis extratropicæ ; ramis abbreviatis, junioribus sublepidotis, 
nonnunquam, spinescentibus; folis à ramulis junioribus ortis, parvis, alternis, brevissim? petiolatis, 
canaliculatis, estivatione conduplicatis, faciebus superioribus invicem applicitis, subtüs lepidotis, costá 
carinatá; pedunculis axillaribus, solitariis, unifloris. : 
l. ATAMISQUEA EMARGINATA (Miers, Trav. ii. p. 529): foliis lineari-oblongis basi apice- 
que emarginatis suprà viridi nitentibus subtüs hirsutis incanis squamisque lepidotis 
tectis. 
Hab. In campis patentibus aridis, salinis, Travesia dictis, provinciae: Mendoza. 
The generie title is derived from the vernacular name, Atamisque. It is a tree of 
withered and barren appearance, not exceeding 8 or 10 feet in height; the trunk is very 
solid, and much bent; the wood, hard and of close grain, is of a yellow colour; the bark 
is very thin and smooth, formed of several yellowish green, membranaceous lamin, peel- 
ing off in flakes, and exposing the bare yellow wood. The branches are much bent and 
tortuous; the younger shoots, which are furfuraceous and of a whitish hue, alone bear 
leaves. The leaves are alternate, broadly linear, emarginate at both ends, 3 lines long and 
1 line broad, of a somewhat coriaceous texture, veinless, very entire, polished, and of a 
dark green above, with a central longitudinal groove over the midrib: in the young state 
their upper face folds inwardly, with the margins adhering closely together; and when 
* The term replum, used by Mr. Brown, Prof. Endlicher and other botanists for the indurated margins of seed- 
vessels that remain after the valves have fallen away, has been objected to by 
p- 326), who thinks that it is defective and unneces 
but in the case above described, where no margin, nor any 
ply ; for the thin epicarp appears entire and supported upon 
in the style, serve to support this epicarpal envelope: and 
confluence of four carpellary leaves, of which these processes 
appear finally under a form that seems better expressed by the term 
