34 



PLANT^ WRIGHTIAN^. 



V. 



ri 



linearibus, marginibus arcti^sime revolutis, subtus bisulcatis, ener\dbus ; stipulis 

 squam^formibus subulatis deciduis ; pedunculis foliis brevioribus ; floribus minimis 



flavis. 



91. MicROiiHAMNUs EKicoiDES. — Vallcy of tbe Pecos, between Western Texas 



and El Paso, Oct ; in flower; likewise just received in Mr. AVrighfs collection of 

 1851, from tlie same region, in flne fruit. Also on dry plains near Parras, North- 

 ern Mexico, Dr. Gregg. — A. rigid, intricately much-branched, small shrub, from 2 

 to 5 feet high, thickly clothed with the persistent coriaceous leaves. These are 

 from 2 to 3 lines long, obtuse, their margins for the most part so strongly revolute 

 that they meet the thickened midrib underneath, leaving merely a groove on each 

 side of it. Ovary free, or nearly so, though its base is encircled by the thickened 

 disk. The fruit, about 3 lines long, though dry, is doubtless subdrupaceous, with a 

 thin sarcocarp, like that of Ceanothus : the thick and bony putamen has a single 

 small cell, and often the vestlge of the second cell or of the dissepiment. The seed, 

 although I have found none quite mature, appears to be like that of Berchemia ; 

 and the foliaceous narrowly oblong cotyledons are similar. — When known only in 

 flower, I was inclined to refer the plant to Ochetophila (although O. trinervis 

 has opposite leaves, not alternate, as stated by Endlicher) ; but the fruit proves to be 

 altogether diflerent, and to approximate the plant to Berchemia and Zizyphus ; but 

 I am unable to refer it to any known genus. 



91^ Adolphia infesta, Meisn. Gen. p. 70 (50) ; Benth. Pl. Hartw. p. 286. 

 Ceanothus infestus, H. B. K. ! Nov. Gen. ^ Sp. 1. p. 61. t. 574. Colletia infesta, 

 Brongn. in Ann. Sci. Nat. 10. p. 366. C? multiflora, DC. Prodr. 2. p. 29. C? 

 disperma, DC. 1. c. f Colubrina infesta, Schlecht. in Linncea, 15. p. 468. Moun- 

 tain-sides, in the pass of the Limpia; Aug. (mostly in fruit). Also Zacatecas, 

 Coulter, No. 10. — Ours is plainly the plant figured by Kunth, who represents the 

 flowers as mostly fascicled in the axils. But Brongniart characterizes his Colletia 

 infesta as having solitary flowers and a longer peduncle. I add the characters of 

 the fruit. — Capsula basi calyce persistente adnato cincta, triloba, tricocca ; coccis 

 chartaceis monospermis. Semina et embryo Ceanothi. — The genus is hardly sufli- 

 ciently distinct from Colubrina. 



CEL ASTRACE^. 



MORTONIA, Nov. Gen. 

 Calyx quinquelobus, tubo obconico 10-costato, lobis marmne scarioso-albidis 



Petala 5, obovata, eroso-crenulata, sub margine disci perigyni carnosi 5-lobi (lobis 

 emarginatis oppositipetalis) inserta. Stamina 5, sinubus disci inscrta, petalis brevi- 

 ora: antherse cordato-did.ym8e, mucronulatge. Ovarium ovoideum, liberum vel basi 

 calyce accretum, 5-IocuIare; loculis biovulatis; ovulis collateralibus erectis. Stylus 

 columnaris, apice 5-dentatus ; lobis intus stigmatosis. Fructus siccus, ovoideus vel 

 oblongus, stylo apiculatus, calyce persistente stipatus, coriaceus, abortu unilocularis 

 monospermus, indehiscens. Semen oblongum, pericarpio conforme; arillo nullo; 

 testa tenui membranacea. Embryo intra albumen carnosum parcum rectus, longitu- 



