﻿VOL. 47 1904 



Smithsonian 

 Miscellaneous Collections 



Vol. 2 Quarterly Issue Part 2 



LENOPHYLLUM, A NEW GENUS OF CRASSULACE.E 



By N. L. BRITTON and J. N. ROSE 



LENOPHYLLUM Rose, gen. nov. 



Perennials, branching at base. Leaves a few opposite pairs, clus- 

 tered near the base, very thick, somewhat flattened, more or less 

 deeply concave on the upper surface. Inflorescence erect, of a few 

 equilateral racemes or interrupted spikes ; flowers sessile or nearly so. 

 Calyx of 5 erect equal nearly distinct sepals. Corolla yellow or dry- 

 ing reddish ; lobes erect, only the upper portion spreading or recurved, 

 narrowed at base and therefore not touching each other. Stamens 10, 

 the five opposite the sepals distinct, the other five borne on the petals ; 

 carpels narrow, erect ; styles slender, at first erect, only a little spread- 

 ing in age. 



Four species, all of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas. 



Type species, Sedum guttatum Rose. 



The type of this genus was first described by Mr. Rose as a doubt- 

 ful Sedum, its distinct petals excluding it from all the other related 

 genera. Living specimens show little connection with Sedum, but in 

 foliage and habit more resemble Echeveria, from which, however, 

 they are clearly distinct. 



The discovery in 1903 of two additional species of similar habit, 

 foliage, inflorescence, petals and carpels, together with the recogni- 

 tion of a fourth in the hitherto doubtful Villadia texana, justifies the 

 segregation of the genus from Sedum. 



While this paper is going through the press a fifth species has 

 been received. Flowering material has not yet been obtained and we 

 have thought best not to publish the species at this time. We have 

 living material from which a full description may be drawn and pub- 

 lished later. 



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