of certain Genera in the Flora Peruviana. 275 



fnir^^.mnosa > Petioli ramis articulati. Flores terminales, solitarii, pedun- 

 cumI Pedunculi Ubracteolatu CoroUa coccinea, limbo lutea. Bacca alba. 



1 D. spinosa, segmentis calycinis ligulatis foliisque glabris. 



Desfontainia spinosa, Rui^ et Pav<rn Syst Veg Fl. Peruv et CM. 1. 



p. m.-Fl. Peruv. et Chil. 2. p. 47- t. 186. (mala).— G«». t. 5 

 D. splendens, Humb. et Bonpl. PI fqum.Amer. 1- P- 157. t. 45— 



Kunth in Nov. Gen. et Sp. PL L p. 274--5y». 4. p. 267- 

 Linkia Peruviana, Persoon Syn. 1. p. 219. 



Hah In Peruviae nemoribus ad ChurupaUana presidium Tarmae, et 



inter Muna et Pozuzo (Ruiz et Pavon) ; m Andibus Quinduensi- 



bus et in Parama de Alniaguer. Humboldt et Bonpland. T"?. Flo- 



ret Octobri et Novembri. (V. s. sp. in Herb. Lamb.) 



Frutex biorgvalis, erectus, ramosissimus, rigidus, sempevvirenSj cortice tevi 



subfun-Voso lutescente annulatim deciduo. Rami brach.ati, fere articu- 



lati Folixi opposita, petiolata, elliptico-oblonga, conacea, glabra, vindia, 



suprh lucida, exsiccatione venosa, basi cuneata integernma, margine den- 



tato-spinosa : dentibus magnis, 7-14. Petioli internodus plerumque dupl6 



V. tripl6 breviores. Calyw glaber, pedunculo vix brevior. Corolla ca- 



lyce l-plb longior. Bacca alba, magnitudine Cerast. 



2. D. parvifolia, foliorum cost^ subtiis pilosS, segmentis calycinis ovaUbus 

 ciliatis. 



Desfontainia spinosa. Herb. Ruiz, non Fl. Peruv. 

 Hab. in Peruvia ad Mun* Montes. Ruiz, h (V. s. sp. in Herb. 

 Lamb.) . • n ■ 



Frute.v ramosissimus, compactus, frondosus, sempervirens cortice flavi- 

 canti, nitido, deciduo. Rmmdi quadranguh, subarticulat, anguhs pro- 

 minentibus, demum cortice decidenti obliteratis, subuide teretes. Folia 

 oDPOsita, petiolata. cuneata, 5 v. 7-dentata, rarius tncuspidata, denti- 

 bus mucrmiato-spinosis, margine callosis ; conacea, semunicalia basv 

 in netiolum alternata, supra glabra, nitidissima, subtus palhdiora, 

 costa nilosa. Petioli marginati, 3-4 lineas longi, intra bases, prceser- 

 tL novellorum, vagina (rudimento foUovum ?) tenuissime scanoso- 

 membranacea, alba, evanescenti instructi. Perfz^ncM/* (ramuli modifa- 

 cati^ brevissimi, uniflori, vix unguiculares, bracteis 2 lanceolatis, can- 

 natis mucronato-spinosis, basi cnnnatis, margine costaque pilosis 

 muiiiti Calyx .5-partitus, nunc 4 v. 6-])anitus : segme7itis ovali- 

 oblongis, obtusissimis, concavis, multi-nerviis,coriaceis, margine mem- 

 hrinaceis et prKsertim apicem versus, ciliatis. Corolla tubulosa, 

 poUicaris,' coccinea, limbo 4-5 loba: lobis rotundatis, ciliatis, nervosis. 

 Anther<B subtrigonje, abrupte mucronulatfe, dorso acute carinatae ; val- 

 vula interiore angustiori. Ovarium globosum : placentisi. Styhis gla- 

 ber, inferne crassior, 4-sulcatus. Stigma exsertum, obtusum, leviter 

 4-tuberculalum, pruinosum. 

 Some groups of plants exist in whose external features there 

 is nothin^g that can lead to a knowledge of their affinities, 

 and among tjiese may be ranked the remarkable genus now 

 under cons'ideration. From observing the similarity in the dis- 

 position of the veins in the calyx and corolla, and the consist- 

 ence of these organs, as well as the nervation and dentation of 

 the leaves, I was led to conclude that it might be allied to 

 Theophrasta; but a closer examination did not confirm that 

 conjecture, although, from remarking the nature of the albu. 



