Di- Graham's Description of Ncxo or Rare Plants. 377 



style, which is only green at its persisting base. Germen purple, ob- 

 ovato-turbinate, covered with minute shining tubercles, ribs strong and 

 prominent, 3-locular. Ovules numerous, attached in two rows within 

 each loculament to the central receptacle. 



This extremely handsome plant flowered for the first time in Mr Neill's 

 greenhouse at Canonmills, Edinburgh, in June 1831 *. Mr Neill is un- 

 certain from whom he received the seed ; but as seeds of Ahtrameria 

 pallida were sent in the same packet, and as we have this, at the Bota- 

 nic Garden, collected by Dr Gilhes at Los Ojos de Agua, it is probable 

 that A. Neillii was from htm also. Dr Gillies believes he did send it, 

 and is of opinion that this is the species which at Mendoza is called Pe- 

 legrbia, and of which he has various specimens in his herbarium. It is 

 possible that these are identical, though in the native specimens the 

 segments of the perianth are perfectly entire, the inner lanceolate, not 

 spathulate, the outer acute, not emarginate, and the peduncles single- 

 flowered. Dr Gillies found it on both sides of the Cordillera of the An- 

 des, between Chile and Mendoza. I alluded to it in the description of 

 A. pallida in the Edin. New Phil. Journal for September 1829, and conjec- 

 tured that when it flowered it might prove to be a variety of A. pallida. 

 The inflorescence, habit, and colouring give support to this conjecture ; 

 and increasing acquaintance with South American genera throws in- 

 creasing scepticism into all inquiries as to the natural boundaries of spe- 

 cies ; but, till the period airive when a revision of the whole genus Al- 

 slroemeria shall warrant our greatly reducing the species, the characters 

 noted above will be considered as giving this form a better title to a 

 specific name than several others which are now held to be specifically 

 distinct. 



1 lately (Ed. New Philosoph. Journ. May 1831) mentioned the confusion 

 into which the species, or su]3posed species, of Calceolaria, were falling, 

 by the multiplication of mules in cultivation. Another South Ameri- 

 can genus has run wild from another cause. Salpiylossis seems to re- 

 quire no admixture of pollen to produce great variety of form. It 

 sports, to use the language of florists, into many shapes and colours, 

 from mere instability of character. I now entertain no doubt that we 

 have but one species in cultivation. I have now (June 1831) flowering 

 in the Botanic Garden many seedling plants from S. atro-purpurea, which 

 are precisely S. sframiriea, though the size of the flower varies in the dif- 

 ferent specimens. I have also seedling plants of S. picta, in some of 

 which the corolla, though perfect, is not above a quarter of an inch long, 

 and pure white ; in others, the corolla never appears at all, yet, both 

 last year and this, specimens of this description have produced abuni 

 dance of seed. I hope these blunders are excusable on the first intro- 

 duction of a little known genus into cultivation, as I myself contributed 

 to the confusion ; but the persevering in them would be without apo- 

 logy. I learn from my accurate friend Mr Cruckshanks, that the forms 

 in Salpiglossis vary greatly in their wild state. 



Gardoquia Gilliesii. 



G. Gilliesii ; foliis lineari-spathulatis, inlegerrimis, utrinque glabris ; pe- 

 dunculis subtrifloris. 



Description S/em fruticose (about 2 feet high) much branched, branches 



spreading, 4-sided, scabrous. Leaves opposite, linear-spathulate, con- 

 cave, entire, glabrous, doited, shining and dark on the ujiper surface, 

 paler below, avenous, middle rib distinct. Peduncles axillary, generally 

 3.flowered, leafv, jiedicels shorter than the peduncles, and like them 

 slightly villous. Cali/.v cylindrical, slightly curved, 13-ribbed, bila- 

 biate, |-toothed, glabrous, naked within. Corolla lilac, twice the 



• This very interesting est.il)lii>hmpnt has recently sustained a great loss in the removal of the 

 gardener, Alexander Scott, whose j>rofessional talent and jraticnt industry has been transferred to 

 a situation of more extensive uscfulnc:js. He has been appointed foreman to Mr Knight's Kxo- 

 tic Nursery, ('helsca, a situation for which he is especially fitted bv his quiet unassviming man- 

 ner, and uniformly steady <:onduct. 



JL'LY — SEPTEMIIER 1831. U ^ 



