206 Mr. J. Miers on the genus Browallia. 



It is remarkable as being the first instance of any species grow- 

 ing so far to the southward of the equator and upon the eastern 

 side of the continent. It is scarcely more than 6 or 8 inches 

 high, with a very slender and almost glabrous stem, but little 

 branched ; its leaves are 1:^ inch long, | inch wide, upon a very 

 slender filiform petiole of f inch ; the peduncle of the flower is 

 barely 2 lines long, growing to a length of 7 lines ; the tube of 

 the calyx is 2 lines long, with teeth scarcely a line in length ; it 

 is cylindrical, f line in diameter, growing to a length of 4 lines 

 in fruit and a diameter of 2 lines, wholly enclosing the capsule ; 

 the tube of the corolla is very slender, 8 lines in length, of a 

 greenish lurid white j the border is 4 lines in diameter, at first 

 of a pale bluish colour, afterwards becoming of a violet hue. 

 The internal structure of the flower, capsule and seeds entirely 

 agrees with that of the typical species*. 



Browallia nervosa, n. sp. ; — foliis ellipticis, acutis, in petiolum 

 longiusculum canaliculatum attenuatis, ciliatis, utrinque spar- 

 sim scabrido-pilosulis, penninerviis, nervis subtus prominulis, 

 floriferis fere bracteiformibus ; floribus axillaribus laxe sub- 

 racemosis ; calyce parvulo, angustato, cylindrico, dentibus 

 acutis, erectis, ciliatis, nervis 10 violaceis picto, glabro ; corolla 

 hypocraterimorpha, tubo angusto, calyce 2-plo longiore, limbo 

 lato, piano, violaceo, lobis brevibus emarginatis ; ovario ob- 

 ovato, apice piloso. — Ecuador, v. s. in herb. Hooker. (Villa Sa- 

 saranga, prope Loxam). Seemann, no. 740. 



This plant is intermediate with B, peduncularis and B. grandi- 

 flora, from both of which it is evidently distinguished by the re- 

 markably contracted form of its calyx and peduncle. It differs 

 also from B. demissa by its leaves being more acute at their base, 

 with a comparatively longer and more winged petiole, and by its 

 more racemose flowers. The leaves are H inch long, 8 lines 

 broad, on a petiole half an inch in length, with the coriaceous tex- 

 ture and general appearance of those of B. peduncularis. The 

 calyx, having five short pointed erect teeth, is at first extremely 

 narrow, 4 lines long, | line in diameter, swelling to a much 

 larger size in fruit ; the tube of the corolla is 8 lines long, 

 ^ line in diameter, slightly swollen below the very narrow mouth ; 

 the border is large in proportion, quite plane and rotate, 9 lines 

 in diameter, and of a purple colour ; the capsule, 3 or 4 lines long, 

 is hairy at the summit of its bifid valves. 



It appears desirable to divide the species of Browallia into two 

 sections ; the first including those whose corolla presents a plane 

 border, with short emarginate lobes, and an ovarium with its 



* A figure of this species with generic details will be shown in plate 54 

 of the ' Illustr. South Amer. Plants.' 



