188 Dr Graham's List of Rare Plants. 



tus, segmenta subnequalia erecta. Stamina ditlynamia, rudimento 

 quinti, erecta, apicibus simplicibus. Stylus sub stigmate rectus. 

 Rhodochiton volubile, Zuccharini — Bot. Mag. 336? 

 Lophospennum Rhodochiton, Don, in Sweet's British Fl. Garden, 250. 



Description Stems filiform, branclied, fwining, subc^-lindrical, firm, 



purple, sparingly covered with /ninute, glandular liairs. Leaves (fully 

 3 inches long, nearly as much broad) alternate, petioled, rounded and 

 cordate at the base, acuminate, lobed, dentate, strongly nerved, when 

 young of dark greenish-purple, when older bright green above, below 

 pale, and at length with a purple tinge, sparingly covered with short 

 glandular pubescence on both surfaces, nerves prominent below, chan- 

 nelled above; petioles about as long as the leaf beyond the sinus, volubile, 

 channelled above. Peduncles axillar^^ solitary, pendulous, filiform, purple, 

 longer than the leaves, flexuose and spirally twisted, when young glan- 

 duloso-pubescent, afterwards nearly glabrous, shining. Flower-buds ovate. 

 Ffojt'eM pendulous. Calyx (nearly 1 inch long, rather more across) cam- 

 panulate, spreading from the base, 5.cleft, shining, deep purple, reticu- 

 late, externally slightly glanduloso-pubescent afterwards nearly glabrous, 

 on the inner surface pretty copiously covered with rather long glandu- 

 lar pubescence; lobes ovate, acute, in the bud closely imbricated, after 

 expansion slightly connivent, and later somewhat spreading at the apices. 

 Corolla twice as long as the calyx, of much deeper purple than it, co- 

 vered externally with glandular pubescence ; tube clavato-cylindrical, 

 unequally 5-sided, dilated at its base whei-e it incloses the germen, in- 

 ternally towards its base uniformly and rather densely[covered with blunt 

 white inverted simple pubescence, which, higher in the tube, is nearly- 

 confined to the longitudinal angles corresponding to the external depres- 

 sions ; and is nearly awanting on the uppermost of these ; limb glabrous 

 within, and externally less pubescent than the tube, of five el^ptical, 

 blunt erect lobes, of which the two upper are rather the shortest and 

 broadest, the lowest the narrowest and rather the longest. Stamens sub- 

 equal, rather longer than the tube; filaments straight, purple, glabrous, 

 shining and filiform above, near their base, dilated, somewhat flattened, 

 paler and covered with inverted hairs similar to those on the inside of 

 the tube, to which they adhere (at the same time becoming smooth) as it 

 passes round the germen ; anthers smooth, dark violet-coloured, lobes 

 elliptical diTaricated, bursting along their outer edges ; pollen white, 

 granules minute, oblong. There is a minute abortive stamen between 

 the bases of the two upper perfect ones. Stiyma of two minute, erect white 

 lobes. Style filiform, scarcely deflected, rather longer than the stamens, 

 o-labrous, or with a very few scattered hairs towards the base. Germen 

 green, ovate, compressed, glanduloso-pubescent, placed obliquely upon a 

 smooth fleshy disk. Ovules very numerous, globular, on podosperms as 

 long as themselves. 

 This plant, native of Mexico, was received at the Botanic Garden, Edin. 

 burgh, from Mr Low of Clapton, vvho had it from Berlin, and has flower- 

 ed with us very freely in the open border during September and Octo- 

 ber. It seems perfectly hardy, and is highly ornamental. 

 I recrret that I have not seen the original observations on the genus by 

 Professor Zuccarini, but I cannot agree with Mr Don in uniting it with 

 Lophospermum, though undoubtedly these genera are very nearly allied. 

 The following contrast shows the ground of this opinion : 

 Rhodochiton Calyx membranous, 5-cleft, campanulate, segments conni- 

 vent in the bud, and lorg after. Corolla, tube clavato-cylindrical, with dis- 

 tinct angles, hairs on inside reflected, and occupying the five angles; limb 

 erect. Stamens subexserted, filamentii nearly glabrous, erect, simple at the 

 apex. Style scarcely deflected, straight below the stigma. 



Lophospermum Calyx herbaceous, o-parted, segments prominent at the 



edges, and spreading at the apices even in the youngest state of the bud. 

 Corolla, tube campanulate, turgid below, hairs on inside erect, and occupy- 

 ing two dense lines ; limb spreading. Stamens included, filaments deflected, 

 glandular towards the anthers, with a tubercle or short blunt branch at the 

 apex. Style deflected, bent to a right angle immediately below the stigma. 



