POLYGAL.E A.MEPJCANyE. 171 



19. P. chloroneiwa, Gris., PI. Lorentz., 30. Tucuman in ReiD. 

 Ai'g., in pascuis alpinis. It is a pretty little species, distiiiguislied 

 by its dense racemes and the bright green centre and membranous 

 margins of its ovate bracts. From P. aspalatha it differs in its 

 flatter leaves. 



Sectio E. — Carina cristata. Folia verticillata, superiora tamen 

 saepius alterna. Semina plerumque strophiolata. Herbae validas 

 floribiis sat magnis, vel humiles floribus parvis. 



Polygalas with verticillate leaves are quite peculiar to iVmerica ; 

 but the section extends through the whole Continent, and also into 

 the West Indies. In the Northern United States there are about 

 seven species, in Brazil fourteen, and many in the intervening 

 countries. In many of the smaller tropical species, as P. paiii- 

 cidata, adenophora, longicaulis, smdvai-iabilis, the lowermost leaves 

 only are verticillate, and these are early deciduous ; in P. jxiniculata 

 so greatly is this the case that many waiters have failed to notice 

 them at all. In several of the species there is a tendency of the 

 verticillate character of the leaves to become more marked as the 

 species advances further north. Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay 

 afford several species hitherto undescribed. 



A small subsection is characterised by being annual herbs, with 

 the lower leaves only verticillate and deciduous ; the seed nearly 

 estrophiolate, and densely clothed with long silky hairs directed 

 downwards from the liilum, and extending beyond the apex in a 

 silky crown, giving them a very remarkable appearance. This sub- 

 section comprises at present the foUowing species : — P. longicaulis, 

 H. B. K. {= P. Stellera, DC.j ; P. adenophora, DC. ; P. variabiUs, 

 H. B. K. ; P. trichosperma , Linn. ; and P. gracilis, H. B. K. It is 

 especially characteristic of the region of the Amazon, extending 

 southward to Bolivia, and northward through Central America 

 and the West Indies. To it must now be added one more 

 species : — 



20. P. BOLiviENSis, noh. n. sp. Caulis erectus teres, haudstriatus, 

 sparse hirsutus, infra simplex, tunc corymbose ramosus ; ad 

 apicem valde foliosus. Folia linearia, margine incrassata, ^ poll, 

 longa, inlima verticillata, superna alterna. Racemi terminales, sub- 

 densi, denique elongati; fiores rosei, oleum flavum praebentes; pedi- 

 celli graciles, floribus dimidio breviores ; bracteae deciduas. Sepala 

 exteriora minuta, ovata, glabra ; alae haec triplo excedentes, 

 anguste obovatae, glabrae, membranaceae, rosae. Petala lateralia 

 longa, angusta, carinam sat conspicue cristatam multo excedentia. 

 Capsula anguste ovata, emarginata, glaberrima. Semina anguste 

 obconica, sericea, crista pilorum sericeorum coronata. 



In graminosis Prov. Larecaja, Andium Boliviensium, Mandon, 

 838. Somewhat between P. variabilis and gracilis, but larger than 

 either and quite distinct. Stem nine inches to one foot high ; 

 leaves one inch long ; the elongated racemes one to two inches. 

 Stains the paper a bright yellow. 



In the largest of the remaining subsections the leaves are all, 

 or very nearly all, verticillate ; and to this belong all the following 

 species: — 



