54 Ammobroma, a New Genus of Plants. 



gathered and cooked, was very luscious, and resembled in taste 

 the sweet potato (batatas), only far more delicate. It is very 

 abundant in the hills ; the whole plant, except the top, buried 

 in the sand, apparently attached to some other root or sub- 

 stance." 



There is not much probability that the Ammobroma can be 

 cultivated, as it seems to be a true parasite ; yet it is possible 

 that it may be propagated by transplanting it along with the 

 living roots to which it is attached. 



The only known genera to which the Ammobroma is nearly 

 allied are Corallophyllum of H. B. and Kth.* (or rather Lennoa 

 of Llave and Lexarzaf), and Pholisma of Nuttall. The former 

 has been found only near the City of Mexico, and no botanist 

 appears to have noticed it since the original descriptions of the 

 plant were published, about forty years ago. It differs from 

 the other two related genera in having a corymbosely branch- 

 ing cespitose stem, with the fleshy leaves (or rather scales) 

 deeply and irregularly laciniate, and the stamens in a double 

 series. The principal figure in the Nov. Gen. et Spec. Plant. 

 does not clearly show the mode of inflorescence, but the flowers 

 are described as being bracteate. 



Pholisma:}: of Nuttallis as little known as the preceding genus, 

 not having been found since that sagacious botanist discovered 

 it near San Diego and Monterey in California, in the year 1835. 

 It is very closely related to Ammobroma, but differs in its 

 calyx being 6- (not 10-) parted, and in having its flowers in a 

 dense oblong spike instead of lining a cyathiform receptacle. 



As to the affinities of these plants there has been much 

 uncertainty, owing to their great rarity and the incompleteness 

 of our knowledge concerning them ; the two longest known 

 having been examined only by the botanists who first described 

 them, and the character of the mature fruit and seed being still 



• * Nov. Gen. et Spec. Plant. 1, p. 276, t. 660 bis (1825). 

 f Nov. Veg. Mex. Desc. fasc. 1, p. 7 (1824), fide Pritz. Thesaur. 

 \ Nutt. in Hook. Icon. t. 626. 



