32 Mr. J. Miers on the genus Pteroglossis. 



This plant seldom exceeds a height of 15 or 18 inches : it has 

 a stronger and more woody stem, and may easily be distinguished 

 from the former species by its radical leaves, which are of thicker 

 texture, broader in proportion, shorter and more elliptic, with 

 short obtuse teeth, and not deeply divided with acute incisures, 

 as in S. picta : the radical leaves, including the attenuated pe- 

 tiole, are 3^ inches in length, the limb being 2^ inches long and 

 11 lines broad. 



Pteroglossis. 



Among the very curious and interesting plants collected by 

 Bridges in the vicinity of Coquimbo, is one that will constitute a 

 new genus, near Salpiglossis. It is a plant with pinnatifid leaves, 

 only in a few of the lower axils, those above being reduced to a 

 linear form; its ascending stems are widely diffuse in many 

 spreading dichotomous branchlets, which are very slender and 

 terete ; the leaves at each axil are gradually diminished to the 

 size of very short linear bracts, which support a few solitary one- 

 flowered peduncles. The corolla, though smaller, has much the 

 shape of that of Salpiylossis, with didynamous included stamens, 

 and it possesses the peculiar aestivation of the Salpiglossidece. 

 The most remarkable feature consists in the unusually broad ex- 

 pansion of its stigma, which hoods the lower pair of stamens, 

 somewhat after the manner of Nierembergiay its winged appen- 

 dages being quite membranaceous, decurrent for some length 

 upon the style, and marked with numerous parallel radiating 

 nervures, which terminate in its lacerated or crenulate margins. 

 The name above proposed is derived from irrepov, ala, and 

 r/kSiaaa, lingua, because of its broadly winged stigma. 



Pteroglossis (gen. nov.). — Calyx tubulosus, subcylindricus, 

 breviter 5-dentatus, 10-nervis, dentibus acutis. Corolla in- 

 fundibuliformis, tubo imo coarctato, hinc ventricoso, 15-striato, 

 limbo expanso, insequaliter 5-lobo, sub-bilabiato, lobis omni- 

 bus emarginatis, superiori longiori et latiori, sestivatione reci- 

 procativa*. Stamina 4, didynama, inclusa, postica longiora; 

 filamenta dilatata, apice angustata. Antheree ovatse, 2-lob8e, 

 imo divaricate, apice sine connectivo in sinu apiciiixse, rima 

 marginali dehiscentes. Ovarium disco carnoso sub 2-lobo im- 

 positum, stipitatum, 2-loculare, placentis centralibus disse- 

 pimento adnatis, multiovulatis. Stylus apice dilatatus, in- 

 flexus. Stigma bialatum, emarginatum, superne carinatum, 

 infra planum, glandula viscoso in sinu notatum, alis latis, 

 membranaceis, in stylum longe decurrentibus, radiatim nervo- 

 sis, margine sublaceratis, staminibus inferioribus amplecten- 



* Ann. Nat. Hist. 2nd Ser. iii. p. 172. 



