63 



GESNERA discolor. 

 Varnished Gesnera. 



DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 



Nat. ord. GesneracejE. 



GESNERA. Botanical Register, vol. 4. fol. 329. 



G. discolor; foliis oppositis petiolatis coriaceis induratis cordatis ovatis den- 

 tatis supra glabriusculis subtus tomentosis, cymis multifloris in panicu- 

 lam aphyllam purpuream glaberriraam quasi vernicatam dispositis, pedi- 

 cellis elongatis cernuis, corollis clavato-cylindraceis glaberrimis, faucis 

 planse subsequalis laciniis rotundatis. 



All I know of this plant is derived from a specimen be- 

 longing to Mr. Young of the Nursery, Epsom, which was 

 exhibited by him at the meetings in the Garden of the Horti- 

 cultural Society in May and June last, on the latter of which 

 occasions the accompanying figure was made. 



It was reported to come from Brazil, and formed a hand- 

 some herbaceous plant about two feet high. The leaves were 

 very large, and hard, with the lobes of their cordate base over- 

 lapping each other ; they were somewhat shining and smooth 

 on the upper side, and hairy beneath. The flowers were 

 almost two inches long, cylindrical, scarlet, with a flat limb, 

 and dispersed in a large leafless panicle, whose branches were 

 of a deep purple colour and perfectly destitute of hairiness. 

 Both they and the flowers were shining as if they had been 

 varnished. 



There are two plants described by DeCandolle, to both 

 which this nearly approaches. The first is his G. polyantha, 

 to which I should have referred it, but he does not say that 

 the panicle is smooth and shining, a character so remarkable 

 in this genus that it is not to be supposed that it was over- 

 looked. The second is the G. Sellowii taken up from Von 



