Mr. J. Miers on the genus Phrodus. 33 
PHRODUS. 
Among the collections made by Bridges in the arid districts of 
the province of Coquimbo in Chile, are three plants that bear 
quite the aspect of some of the smgular Nolanaceons species 
which I noticed on a previous occasion as belonging to the ge- 
nera Alona and Dolium of Dr. Lindley. One of these same plants 
was formerly described by me (Lond. Journ. Bot. iv. p. 501) 
under the name of Alona microphylla, because it possessed the 
same general habit, with flowers similar to those of Alona erici- 
folia and other Nolanaceous plants from the same locality, and 
being without fruit I concluded it must belong to that genus. 
The plants now to be described, though evidently referable to 
the tribe Solanee of Endlicher, do not correspond with any re- 
corded genus: from Salpichroma they differ in having a more 
tubular calyx, and a much shorter and broader corolla, which 
does not become black im drying: they approach Dunalia in the 
structure of their flowers, and somewhat in their Lycium-like 
habit, but their filaments are simple and more exserted. They 
greatly resemble at the same time many species of Lycium, but 
they differ from that genus in having much larger and more cam- 
panular flowers with a very different <estivation. The generic 
name now proposed for these plants is derived from dpodédos, 
evanidus, because of their shabby stunted habit. 
Puropus (gen. nov.).—Calyx urceolato-tubulosus, usque ad me- 
dium 5-dentatus, dentibus acutis, persistens. Corolla infun- 
dibuliformis, tubo imo contracto, superne amphore, limbo 5- 
partito, lacmiis oblongis vel rotundatis, expansis, estivatione 
induplicato-valvatis. Stamina 5 , subinzequalia, longe exserta ; 
filamenta filiformia, in coarctationem tubi adnata, imo villosa, 
hine giabra; anthere ovatie, 2-lobe, sine connectivo apicifixe, 
lobis adnatis, rima laterali longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ova- 
rium ovatum, imo glandula annulari cinctum, 2-loculare, pluri- 
ovulatum, placentis incrassatis dissepimento utrinque adnatis. 
Stylus filiformis, longitudine stamimum. Stigma clavatum, 
obsolete 2-lobum. Bacca globosa, apice conica, calyce distensa 
arcte inclusa, 2-locularis, polysperma. Semina compressa, re- 
niformia. Embryo in albumen carnosum teres, arcuatus, radi- 
cula ad angulum basilarem spectante, cotyledonibus semitere- 
tibus fere equante.—Fruticuli Chalenses ramosissimi ; folia mi- 
nima, ericoidea, carnosula ; flores solitarii, axillares, pedunculatt. 
1. Phrodus microphyllus. Alona microphylla, Lond. Journ. Bot. 
iv. 501 ;—fruticulosus, nodoso-flexuosus, implexo-ramosus, ra- 
mulis junioribus brevibus divaricatis, vel deflexis, abortu apice 
seepe spinescentibus ; folus subsessilibus parvulis, subfascicu- 
latis, spathulato-oblongis, carnosis, superne canaliculatis, sub- 
Amn. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. iv. 
