484 Mr. J. Miers on the Tribe Colletiese. 



— V. s. in herb. Mus. Paris (Ventenat) ex specimine culto cum 



notula "Perou" (sine dubio erronea). 



I am not aware of the existence of any indigenous specimen ; 

 nor is the exact place of its growth known. The species was 

 estabhshed by Ventenat, who made his drawing above quoted 

 from a plant raised from seeds brought home by Dombey, first 

 cultivated by M. Cels, and afterwards in the Jardin des Plantes, 

 where Poiret also saw it growing. The specimen now in the 

 Paris herbarium, which I have seen, was contributed by Ven- 

 tenat : his drawing well accords with it. It is described as a 

 shrub having much the appearance of a Spartium, growing to the 

 height of 3 feet. In the structure of its flower it quite agrees 

 with that of the two following species, the characters of which 

 are better known ; the only negative feature attached to it is the 

 account recorded by Ventenat of its fruit, which is said to be 

 3-coccous, and therefoi^e at variance with the sti'ucture known to 

 exist in the other species and in Trevoa ; but as it is very impro- 

 bable that the fruit ever ripened in Paris, and as in the imma- 

 ture state it was found to be trilocular, we may conclude that it 

 was only assumed to be 3-coccous, like the other known species 

 of Colletia, to which genus it was thought to belong. Ventenat, 

 on the other hand, mentions its fleshy mesocarp, which becomes 

 coriaceous in drying, as I have found it in R. strida. 



2. Retamilia Ephedra, Brongn. Ann, Sc. Nat. x. 365 ; Hook. 

 Bot. Misc. i. 157; ibid. iii. 173; — Colletia Ephedra, Vent, 

 {non Bert.) Choix, tab. 16; Lodd. Bot. Cab. pi. 1820; — 

 Ilhamnus Ephedra, Domb. MSS. ; — suiFruticosa, dumosa, 

 ramulis imo spinosis, superne inermibus, valde strictis, vir- 

 gatis, compresso-teretibus, forte striatis, cortice carnoso vesti- 

 tis, junioribus albido-tomentosis, demum glabris ; nodis di- 

 stantibus, stipuliferis, stipulis oppositis, gibbo-squamiformi- 

 bus, fuscis, acutis, utrinque linea transversali nexis ; foliis 

 nullis, aut caducissimis ; floribus plurimis, in capitulum sub- 

 globosum sessile utrinque axillare aggregatis, aut paucio- 

 ribus, in spicam brevissimam enatis ; pedunculo brevissimo, 

 calyce urceolato, roseo-albido, extus pubescente, tubo intus 

 imo piloso, pilis longis patentibus, limbi laciniis 4, brevibus, 

 erectis, petalis 4, niveis, oblongis, unguiculatis, cucullatis, erec- 

 tis, staminibus totidem, vix sequilongis, ovario conico-oblongo, 

 piloso, stylo brevi, crassiusculo, ad medium attingente ; fructu 

 globoso. — Chile. — v. s. in herb, meo ; Chile (Ruiz & Pavon), 

 sine loco designato ; — in herb. Mus. Paris (specim. typicum, 

 Dombey) ; " Perou," potius Chile ; — in herb. Hook. ; in con- 

 vallibus Andium Chilensium ; Concepcion (Lay & Collie) ; 

 Chile, sine loco (Cuming, 704). 

 This is a well-established species ; its Ephedra-like branches 



