Mr. J. Miers on the Ehretiaceae. 313 



tion of the ovary after the fall of the corolla conforms to the 

 character of the genus. 



19. C)'ei)iafoi)iia(?) haanita] — Morelosia huanita, LL et Lex, 

 Nov. Vefj. Desc. 1 ; Don^ Diet. iv. 392 ; — raraulis tortuosis, 

 ultirais deformatis, angulatis ; foliis in extremitate ramu- 

 lorura ovatis, nitidis, integerrimis, longe pctiolatis : pani- 

 culis corymbosis, termiualibus ; fioribus plurimis, sessilibus, 

 articulatis ct cadiici.s, odoratissirais ; calyce coriaceo, ven- 

 trlcose tubuloso, 5-fido ; corollaj tubo calyce subbreviorc, 

 lobis rotundis, asstivatione inter se cucullatim inibricatis, 

 demum patentissirais ; filamentis medio tubi insertis, subu- 

 latis, imo tomentosis ; antheris exserti.s, sagittatis, polline 

 albido ; ovario conico, striato ; stylo apice 2-iido, cum stig- 

 matibus clavatis ; dru})a globosa, sub-4-gona, subcarnosa, 

 coriacea, nitida, styli vestigio apiculata, imo laciniis caly- 

 cinis circumdata ; nuce oblonga, 4-sulcata, loculis 4 mono- 

 spermis (an in 4 demum solubili?). — In Mexico, ad Uru- 

 puam, prov. Mechoacan (Valladolid) [nan vidi). 



The Morelosia of La Llave and Lexarza has always been a 

 genus of doubtful position : by its authors it was considered to be 

 near Cordiacecp on the one hand, and near EhenacecB on the other. 

 Endlicher placed it after S^mplocos, stating that its ovary was 

 inferior and adnate to the calyx — an error arising from an 

 ambiguous expression in its original character. Prof. De 

 Candolle showed (Prodi*, x. 177) that it could not belong to 

 Borragineo', Ebenacete, or Styracea\ The characters given 

 of it are sufficiently clear, showing tliat its ovary is superior 

 and enclosed in a tubular jjcrigi/ nous corolla, and that its fruit 

 is supported by the ruptured segments of the calyx. The error 

 above-mentioned has arisen from the expression of the author, 

 " calyx adherens," wiasaimg persistent or attached to the base of 

 the diupe. Its bifid style, combined with its other characters, 

 shows that it belongs to Ehretiacea', and either to Bourreria or 

 Crematomia, probably the latter, on account of its ^Mexican 

 origin, the short tube of the corolla, the large imbricated lobes 

 of its border, and the stamens tomentose at base : it is a spe- 

 cies near C. forniosa, from which it appears to differ little. 

 The character of tlie fruit was probably drawn from the drupe 

 in an innnatm-e state, when the achenia were agglutinated 

 together. 



It is described as a tree of middle size, with a scabrid, 

 rough trunk, its leaves being 3-4 inches long, upon elongated 

 petioles. 



Ann. (t May. X. Hist. Scr. 4. Vol. \\\, 23 



