170 Dr Graham's Description ofNexo or Rare Plants. 



that the remedy there is the bark of the chapara *. He also 

 said that the bark of the alcornoco is a good remedy. 



In the Orinoko, cats are said to be a mortal enemy to the 

 serpent tribe ; that they kill the crotalus, and even the coral 

 snake, which is considered by the Spaniards to be very poison- 

 ous, though, I believe, it is harmless ; and it is said are not un- 

 frequently killed in a conflict with the former. I was told that, 

 on some of the Llanos, where rattlesnakes abound, cats are fre- 

 quently kept for this purpose by the inhabitants. 



" He added at the same time, that this bark, as well as that of the 

 Alcornoco, is esteemed a grand remedy for abscesses in the lungs. They are 

 both powerful astringents. 



Description of several New or Rare Plants which have lately 

 Jlozvered in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and chiejly in 

 the Royal Botanic Garden. By Dr Graham, Professor 

 of Botany in the University of Edinburgh. 



loth June 1830. 

 Brachystelma crispum. 



B. crispum ; foliis elliptico-lanceolatis ; corolltE laciniis tubo duplo lon- 

 gioribus, pedunculis srepius aggregatis. 

 Description Tuber {4 inches in diameter) round, flattened, slightly de- 

 pressed; in the centre is a rugged crown or neck, divided at top, and 

 permanent, about i or J of an inch high, from which the stems spring 

 when the plant begins to vegetate. Stems several, slightly flattened, 

 ascending, much branched, forming a dense round tuft (in the spe- 

 cimen described 6 inches high and 10 inches broad), covered with 

 short glandular pubescence. Leaves opposite, decussating, elliptico- 

 lanceolate, dark green in front, paler behind, covered on both sides 

 with glandular pubescence, crisped, on short petioles, with a strong 

 middle rib and few veins prominent behind ; at the flowers, the pairs oc- 

 casionally approach, so as to give the appearance of a 4-leaved verticel. 

 Peduncles (nearly |ths of an inch long), simple, rarely solitary, generally 

 aggregated, situate on the side of the stem between the leaves, 2 or more 

 frequently agglutinated together in tlie luxuriant specimen described. 

 BractecB small, awl-shaped, at the base of the peduncles. Calyx small, 5- 

 parted, pubescent, segments awl-shaped, and very much resembling the ■ 

 bractere. Corolla monopetaious, pubescent witliin, naked without ; limb 

 5-parted, plicate, occasionally twisted, forming to the bud an angular blunt 

 beak (about an inch long), of the same colour as the back of the leaves, seg- 

 ments afterwards spreading wide, their edges revolute, upper surface 

 of dark olive-green ; faux devoid of pubescence, yellow, especially on 

 the inside, crowded with deep purplish-brown, oblong, transverse spots, 

 ■which, on the outside, are fewer and more rounded ; tube campanulate ; 

 crown deep purple, included, monophyllous, with five teeth, which are 

 connivent over the stigma. There is an emarginate erect border on the 

 outside of each, and between them five pits, over which are placed the 

 truncated stamens, each having two distinct poUen-massef, and a depend- 



