U:at,uN HOBncOLE. 



PL- CXCIX. 



SERICOBONIA IGNEA 



ETYMOLOGY : 





GENERIC and SPECIFIC CHARACTERS : suffmte. 

 folia glabra, distantia, ovato-lanceolata basi in peidolum lot 



mibus subtus albis prominentibus , nervulis reticulatis: purr, 

 longis inaequalibus plurifloris; calyx 8 mill, longus. liispidulu 

 pluribus basi sufFultns ; corolla subringens , 4 cent, longa c 

 subaequalia 4 mill, longa, erecta, sup< 



integrum obt 

 tus mserta, 3 abortiva in squamis adnatis 

 basi ad medium adnatis aequilongis pilosulis apice nudis; anthero 

 mucronatis; stylus inclusus (ut stamina) filiformis coccineus apice 

 obtegeus; ovarium oblongo-conicum viride, glabrum, basi disco ann 

 hibridum novum inter Sericographidem Ghiesbreghtianum (patrem) 



Sericobonia ig-rie 





Andre, gen. byb. 



The remarkable plant, the subject of the foregoing des- 

 cription, and of which we here give the portrait, is the 

 result of the cross fertilisation of two distinct Acanthaceous 

 genera, Sericographis and Libonia. Instances of hybrids 

 between distinct genera are not common. Three years ago, 

 D r Masters published an account of one (Gard. Chron. 1872, 

 p. 358) between Lapageria rosea and Philesia buxifolia, 

 citing at the same time similar productions, as between 

 Malva and Malvaviscus , Chamaerops and Phoenix, etc. 

 D r Weddell (Ann. des Sc. nat., 3 e ser. vol. XVIII) had pre- 

 viously pointed out cases of hybridity between Lychnis and 

 Saponaria, Ervuhi and Vk-ia, Lychnis and Cucubalus, Ipo- 

 maea and Convolvulus, Nicotiana and Datura, Papaver, and 

 Chelidonium, Papaver and Glaucium, Lavatera and Hibiscus, 

 and between Acer as and Orchis. But after all, these are still 

 very rare exceptions. The names that can be given to these 

 productions are very perplexing to botanists. In the case of 

 hybrids between species it is usual to preserve the names 

 of the two species which gave them birth, but this course 

 is more difficult with genera, in consequence of the risk of 

 encumbering nomenclature with long, ill-sounding names. 

 A very good alternative, employed by D r Masters at the 

 suggestion of Prof. Oliver, is to devise a partial blending 

 of the two names. In this way the hybrid between Philesia 

 and Lapageria became Philageria. 



Whe shall therefore follow this precedent , composing the 

 name of our hybrid from those of its parents, and call it 

 Sericobonia. 



It is a curious fact, though there is nothing in it to sur- 

 prise those familiar with the results of cross-fertilisations, 

 that the female plant had little influence on the offspring of 

 "S seeds, our plant coming much nearer to Sericographis, 

 which furnished the pollen, than to Libonia, which bore the 



In aspect, Sericobonia is entirely distinct from Libonia, of 



racters, such as its elliptical entire !<■ 

 inches long, and very shortly petiohite, l! 

 geminate, very >mall bracts, orange-sea rl 

 yellow predominate in the upper part c.i 



stamens. But although our planl is bo i 



characters, and is in reality intermediate 

 and S,.-ri>;,yrn})his. 



On the ether hand, n differs from S 



breffhtiana by the following not very c 

 important characters: joints of the steo 

 and of a reddish-brown colour- leaves uv 

 elliptical, and destitute of glandular dots : 

 flowered, not two-flowered: glandless cal 

 lobes; unequal bracts and br&cteoles; 00] 

 and a half long, slightly hispid, not gh 

 but orange purple ; upper lip entire and 



It will be seen how very subtle the* 

 especially if we remember that the distill 

 ristics of the genus Sericographis, as foi 

 Esenbeck, are present: apart from the 

 ted. It also shows the preponderating tnflt 

 in fecundation, a phenomenon frequent! 

 Naudin and other observers. 



Sericobonia iyncn will be one of our best 

 for winter flowering. We are confident o1 

 take its place as a market plant by the : 

 Libonia floribunda, and disputing the pal 

 dra, Stephanophysvui , RncUio. and other g 

 plants so valuable during the rigours of \ 



