3G Mr. J. Miers on the genus Physalis. 



and larger campanular corolla, with an erect almost entire mar- 

 gin, and a calyx with five deeply carinated angles, and five spur- 

 like extensions at its base ; the second has a more decidedly in- 

 fundibuliform corolla, resembling that of a Nolana, and an almost 

 transparent calyx marked with dark green lines ; the third has 

 a still more tubular corolla with an enlarged thickened calyx : 

 Anisodus has a large deeply bell-shaped flower with rounded 

 lobes, and a vesicular thickened calyx with five large prominent 

 nervures which become woody : in Withania the corolla is nar- 

 row and deeply cleft, and the fructiferous calyx is broad and not 

 contracted in its mouth : Hypnoticum has a small corolla with 

 an extremely short tube, and a small erect five-cleft border. 



In Physalis, on the contrary, the corolla is broadly campanular, 

 with a spreading pentangular border more or less entire, and 

 generally with five large coloured spots at its base. All possess 

 a swelling calyx enveloping the fruit, and Hypnoticum agrees with 

 Physalis in having stellate or brachiate pubescence. The follow- 

 ing is its emended generic character : — 



Physalis (char, reform.). — Calyx brevis, tubulosus, in lobis 5 

 acutis semifissus, tubo in fructu valde aucto vesiculoso 5 an- 

 guloso, persistens. Corolla late campanulata, ssepissime ma- 

 culis magnis 5 colorata, imo breviter coarctata, limbo subro- 

 tato, 5-angulato, rarius in lobis 5 triangularibus partito, sesti- 

 vatione plicato-valvata. Stamina 5, imo corollse inserta, e 

 squamis 3-dentatis basi coroUse adnatis et fere in annulum 

 sistentibus orta; filamenta teretia, erecta; antherse oblongse, ba- 

 sifixae, circum stylum conniventes, loculis 2, parallele connexis, 

 rima marginali longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ovarium ova- 

 tum, imo disco carnoso impositum, 2-loculare, placentis e dis- 

 sepimento cruciatim partientibus, tunc bifidis, lunularibus, 

 undique ovuligeris. Stylus simplex, longitudine staminum. 

 Stigma capitatum, 2-lobum. Bacca globosa, calyce vesiculoso, 

 membranaceo, reticulato, celata. Semina plurima, parva, in 

 pulpam nidulantia, reniformia, testa scrobiculata. Embryo 

 intra albumen carnosum hemicyclicus, teres, radicula infera 

 hilo laterali evitante cotyledonibus semiteretibus duplo Ion- 

 giore. — Herbse suffruticulos(B, radice perennente, totius orbis 

 undique indigence, procumbentes, dichotomo-ramosa, pilosa ; folia 

 alterna, vel gemina, ovata, integra, aut angulato-dentata, inter- 

 dum cordata ; flores pedunculati, solitarii, extra-axillares, sa- 

 pissime nutantes. 



All the species of Physalis are too well known and described 

 to require any observation, but for the sake of illustrating the 

 details of the genus, I have added a species that appears to be 

 unrecorded. 



