210 



^t'DiKiiif. scarcely o-xstiti'd, in the majority of cases not at all. Mia 

 nients slrony, anthers not sagittate. 



»S'fY/7r.s' about one-ha.lf the length of the petals, united at the base, arch 

 narrow; top of scale deeply fringed, the fimbriations often branching; 

 sides of scales much less deeply fringed, arches not at all. Base of scales 

 plainly l)iIobate, as is often, thougn not ahva.vs the case. 



Sti/lcs two, parallel, short, subetjual, scarcely exserted. in the majority 

 of cases not at all. 



Oravii Somewhat gloliose, showing slight tendency toward triangu- 

 larity, evidently due to development of three seeds. Styles only about 

 one-half the length of ovary; stigmas globose-capitate. 



Floirvrs from 2-4 mm. long and nearly as broad. 



Inflorcscoicc: Flowers gathered in clusters of various sizes, though 

 none of the clusters exceed 8 mm. in diameter. Clusters contain from 3-5, 

 up to lO-K) flowers. Flowering branches thickened, rugose, often 

 branched. Pedicels short, single flowered, the flowers in many cases seem- 

 ing sessile. 



t^calc leaves small, sub-triangular, acute, membranaceous. 



^tem, where closely appressed to host-plant, strong, rugose, dark 

 colored, almost brown. Free stems slender smooth, often branching. 

 Scale leaves, more elongate and less acute than those found on flower 

 branches, occur on free portions of the stem. 



The individual flowers have no bracts, although the floral clusters are 

 subtended by two or more membranaceous bracts from 1-2 mm. long and 

 perhaps two-thirds as wide. 



It is very evident that the plant in the Linnrean collection is far re- 

 moved from the Jamaica plant of Sloano in the South Kensington Mu- 

 seum. 



Grisebach, in Fl. of British West Indies, London. 1864. includes Ameri- 

 cana and makes direct reference to Sloane, t. 128, f. 4, but the description 

 shows that tlie plant lie so refers is not that of Sloane. The following 

 characters (Fl. Brit. West Ind. (18()4), p. 47G) mark his plant: 



1. Pedicels shorter than flowers. 



1. Calyx little exceeded by corolla. 



3. Calyx lobes short, I'ounded. 



4. Corolla r>-])arted, lobes erect. 



5. Scales small. 



