AD Mr. J. Miers on the Genus Cortesia. 
my own observations made from the living plant in 1825. I 
found two species—one in dry desert tracts in the neighbour- 
hood of Mendoza, the other fifty miles to the eastward, in 
sale marshy ground, which is that described and floured by 
Cavanilles. This genus has been rightly placed in the Ehre- 
tiaceew, with which it accords in its tubular calyx, exserted 
stamens, bifid style, and baccate fruit : it approaches Towrne- 
fortia in its baccate 2-pyrenous fruit, each nut being 2-celled ; 
but it differs in its solitary flowers, in the singular appendages 
found between the calyx and corolla, in the absence of a 
hypogynous disk, in its long bifid style, and in its persistent 
campanular calyx. The following i is an amended character of 
the genus, from my own observations. 
CortrstA, Cav.—Calyx tubulosus, carnosus, extus pilosus, 
intus densissime sericeo-villosus, ore dentibus 10-15 tereti- 
bus obtusulis subineequalibus glabris paulo divaricatis cum 
membranis brevibus interjectis donatus, demum subcam- 
panulatim dilatatus et persistens. Appendices circa 5-10 
inter calycem et corollam posite, squamiformes, inequales, 
membranacex, ovate, utrinque pilose, longe unguiculate, 
quorum 1 vel 2 calycem paulo superant, unguibus fili- 
formibus extus pilosis, aut interdum omnes brevissime et 
ideo inter pilos facile invise. Corolla tubulosa, glabra, 
membranacea, tubo calycem paulo superante, medio vel 
sub faucem angustato, limbo ad basin 5-partito, laciniis 
equalibus, oblongis, apice rotundatis, subexpansis, estiva- 
tione (cum uno axi remoto exteriore ) imbricatis. Stamina 5, 
laciniis alterna; jilamenta imo dilatata, superne teretia et 
flexuosa, infra faucem enata, et cum costas totidem promi- 
nentes continua, paulo aut longe exserta, erectiuscula, esti- 
vatione induplicato-inflexa : antheree oblong gee, obtuse, imo 
breviter divaricatee, introrse, In sinu dorsali affixee, oscilla- 
toriz, 2-loculares, loculis ad connectivum latum collatera- 
liter affixis, rma sublaterali dehiscentibus. Déscus nullus. 
Ovartum superum, pyriforme, imo turbinato-stipitatum, e 
toro depresso ortum, subsulcatum, placentis 2 oppositis 
semiseptiformibus bilamellatim introflexis hine pseudo- 
4-loculare, lamellis margine l-ovulatis; ovula paulo sub 
apicem suspensa; 4: ynobasts seu columella centralis. mem- 
branacea, imo ad apicem protensa, libera, demum ad pyrenas 
adherens. St, 'ylus elongatus, teres, fere ‘ad medium 3- -fidus, 
ramis divaricatis, apice reflexis, eestivatione recurvatis ; 
stigmata clavata, tubatim dilatata, rugulosa. Draupa ob- 
ovata, pericarpio subsicco , calyce cupulari semicincta, ¢labra, 
nitida, 2-pyrena, pyrenis plano-convexis, osseis, 2-locula~ 
