Mr. J. Miers on the genus Pteroglossis. 33 
tibus. Capsula calyce persistente tecta, 2-locularis, 2-valvis, 
valvis semibifidis, placenta centrali demum solutis. Semina 
ignota.—Planta Chilensis subglabra, radice lignosa perenni, 
caulibus plurimis adscendentibus, gracilibus, laxis, divaricatim 
ramosis ; folia alterna, inferioribus sinuato-pinnatifidis ; pedun- 
culi uniflori, axillares, paniculam laxam efformantes. 
1. Pteroglossis lava ;—subglabra, ramosissima, ramis plurimis, 
teretibus, gracilibus, laxe divaricatis, nodis distantibus ; foliis 
axillaribus, inferioribus oblongis, sinuato-pinnatitidis, in pe- 
tiolum spathulatis, sub lente minutissime pubescentibus, me- 
diis linearibus, supremis floriferis in bracteis parvis decrescen- 
tibus: pedunculis solitariis, viscoso-pubescentibus, unifloris ; 
floribus parvulis ; corolla straminea, lineis violaceis picta.— 
Coquimbo, in herb. Hook. (Bridges, no. 1839). 
This plant has very much the habit of Schwenkia americana : 
the root is ligneous, as well as a short perennial woody stump, 
from which arise several somewhat erect branches 12 to 18 
inches long, which are evidently deciduous ; these are slender, 
terete, glabrous, flexuosely brachiate at each axil, and again 
dichotomously branched : below, the axils are more approximate, 
above widely distant. The lower leaves are sinuato-pinnatifid, 
about 1 to 11 inch long including the petiole, and 3 lines broad 
Including the segments; to the naked eye they appear quite 
smooth, but under the lens they are seen to be invested by nu- 
merous, very short, minute hairs: these leaves gradually dimi- 
nish to the size of 3 to 1 inch long and only half a line broad, 
and as they ascend they become smaller, till they arrive at the 
terminal floriferous branchlets, where they assume the form of 
linear bracts, scarcely a line in length and 3th of a line broad; 
from each of these springs a very slender glandular pubescent 
peduncle, about half an inch in length, bearing a solitary flower ; 
the calyx is 1} line long, tubular, and crowned by five equal 
fleshy erect teeth; the corolla is about 4 lines long, of a yel- 
lowish colour, marked by about fifteen violet-coloured, parallel, 
branching lines ; the tube is contracted and cylindrical below for 
one-third of its length, above this it is ventricose, with a border 
of five, oblong, rcunded and emarginate patent lobes, the upper 
one of which is somewhat longer and broader; they assume in 
zstivation that peculiar mode of plication which I have called 
reciprocative (Joc. cit. 172); the didynamous stamens are in- 
cluded, arising from the contracted portion of the tube; the 
ovarium is oblong, 2-grooved, imbedded in a fleshy 2-lobed cup 
borne upon a short stipitate support, and surrounded by the in- 
duvial remains of the corolla; the style is slender, the length of 
the stamens, inflexed at its apex, and gradually widening consi- 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. v. 3 
