Mr. J. Miers on the genus Phrodus. 33 



Phrodus. 



Among the collections made by Bridges in the arid districts of 

 the province of Coquimbo in Chile, are three plants that bear 

 quite the aspect of some of the singular Nolanaceous species 

 which 1 noticed on a previous occasion as belonging to the ge- 

 nera Alona and Dolium of Dr. Lindley. One of these same plants 

 was formerly described by me (Lond. Journ. Bot. iv. p. 501) 

 under the name of Alona micro'phylla, because it possessed the 

 same general habit, with flowers similar to those of Alona erici- 

 folia and other Nolanaceous plants from the same locality, and 

 being without fruit I concluded it must belong to that genus. 



The plants now to be described, though evidently referable to 

 the tribe Solanece of Endlicher, do not correspond with any re- 

 corded genus : from Salpichroma they differ in having a more 

 tubular calyx, and a much shorter and broader corolla, which 

 does not become black in drying : they approach Dunalia in the 

 structure of their flowers, and somewhat in their Lycium-like 

 habit, but their filaments are simple and more exserted. They 

 greatly resemble at the same time many species of Lycium, but 

 they differ from that genus in having much larger and more cam- 

 panular flowers with a very different sestivation. The generic 

 name now proposed for these plants is derived from <f>povBo<i, 

 evanidus, because of their shabby stunted habit. 



Phrodus (gen. nov.). — Calyx urceolato-tubulosus, usque ad me- 

 dium 5-dentatus, dentibus acutis, persistens. Corolla infun- 

 dibuliformis, tubo imo contracto, superne ampliore, limbo 5- 

 partito, laciniis oblongis vel rotundatis, expansis, sestivatione 

 induplicato-valvatis. Stamina 5, subinsequalia, longe exserta; 

 filamenta filiformia, in coarctationem tubi adnata, imo villosa, 

 hinc glabra ; anthera ovatse, S-lobse, sine connectivo apicifixse, 

 lobis adnatis, rima laterali longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ova- 

 rium ovatum, imo glandula annulari cinctum, 2-loculare, pluri- 

 ovulatum, placentis incrassatis dissepimento utrinque adnatis. 

 Stylus filiformis, longitudine staminum. Stigma clavatum, 

 obsolete 2-lobum. Bacca globosa, apice conica, calyce distensa 

 arete inclusa, 2-locularis, polysperma. Semina compressa, re- 

 niformia. Embryo in albumen carnosum teres, arcuatus, radi- 

 aula ad angulum basilarem spectante, cotyledonibus semitere- 

 tibus fere sequante. — Fruticuli Chilenses ramosissimi ; folia mi- 

 nima, ericoidea, carnosula; flores solitarii, axillares,pedunculati. 



1 . Phrodus microphyllus. Alona microphylla, Lond. Journ. Bot. 

 iv. 501 ; — fruticulosus, nodoso-flexuosus, implexo-ramosus, ra- 

 mulis junioribus brevibus divaricatis, vel deflexis, abortu apice 

 ssepe spinescentibus ; foliis subsessilibus parvulis, subfascicu- 

 latis, spathulato-oblongis, carnosis, superne canaliculatis, sub- 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. iv. 3 



