Plate 2454, 



STAURANTHERA CHIRITiEFLORA, Oliv. 



GESNERACE.E. Tribe Cyrtandre-e. 



S. chiritaeSoraj OHv, (sp. nov,) ; herba oppositifolia, folio altero nano 

 stipulifonni, folio niajore tenuiter nieiiiLranaceo sessili ovato-oblongo 

 oblique ina^quilaterali acuminate serrato supra pilis brevibus sparsi&simis 

 instructo subtus glabro, pedunculis axillaribus folio brevioribus pubes- 

 centibus, floribus racemoso-cymosis, pedicellis ssepius geminatis ebrac- 

 teatis, corolla rosea tubuloso-ventricosa bilabiatalabiosuperiore bilobato 

 inferiore trilobato lobis omnibus ovato-rotundatis obtusis, ovario ovoideo 

 glabro plane biloculare placentis bifidis undique ovuliferis, capsula 

 globosa apice tarde bivalvatim dehiscente, pericarpio tenui. 



Hab_ China : Mongtse, Yunnan, ' in a dark, damp glen under shady 

 precipices, rare/ Hancock (No. 51). 



Folia 5-7 poll, longa, 1-^-2^ poll. lataj basi late rotundata v. semi- 

 cordata. Pedicelli ebracteati 6-9 lin. longi, pubescentes. Calyx late 

 carapanulatus, 5-fidus, segmentis subiequalibus ovatis, obtusiusculis 

 sinibus baud plicatis. Corolla uncialis, calyce 8-10-plo longior. 

 Stamina perfecta 4, iuclusa, basi coroUae inserta ; anthera^incoronulam 

 cohserentes, loculis confiuentibus divaricatis. Discus annularis, parvus. 

 Stylus longiusculus, gracilis, persistens, post fructus dehiscentiam basi 

 fissus ; stigma bilobatum. Fructus globosus, vix exsertus ; serainu 

 numerosissima, ovali-oblonga. 



It is not without hesitation that I refer this fine plant to Stauran- 

 thera. It has indeed the anthers and globose capsule of that genus, 

 but the corolla is that of some species of Chirita ; the ovary and capsule 

 are genuinely bilocular, and the dehiscence of the latter is, at least in one 

 example, Avhich may, however, have been split in drying, by two valves 

 from above. Besides there is no tendency to a spur at the base of the 

 corolla, as in S, grandijlora^ and the style, though included, is long and 

 slender. The leaves, excepting that they are sessile, are similar to those 

 of Stauranfhera, and the inflorescence resembles that of S, umhrosa. 



The alternative would be to erect this plant into a new genus, but in 

 view of the artificial character of many already described and the influx 

 of two forms from Eastern Asia I prefer to leave it as above.- — 



D. Oliver. 



Fig. 1. Calyx laid open and pistil. 2. Corolla laid open. 3. Views of anther. 

 4, Section of ovary. 6» Capsule in calyx from -which one lobe has been cut off. 6, 

 Seed. All enlarged. 



