252 Mr. J, Miers on the genus Leucophyllum. 



towards the basal angle of the seed below the hilum, which is 

 seen in the marginal sinus*. 



Leucophyllum. 



This genus was first published and figured in the 'Plantse 

 iEquinoctiales/ and Bonpland in his observations upon it re- 

 marks, that although it appears to belong to Scrophulariacecef on 

 account of its didynamous stamens, it bears in its habit more 

 the aspect of the Solanacea, and from this circumstance, the 

 specific name of L. ambiguum was evidently given to the species 

 he described. 



Professor Kunth, in his ^ Nov. Gen. et Sp.^ li. p. 360, observes, 

 that this genus may be considered as nearly allied to Maurandia 

 and Antirrhinum molle, but I cannot perceive any such analogy. 

 Dr. Lindley, in his ^ Nat. Syst. Bot.^ p. 292, placed this genus 

 in ScrophulariacecSj among the tribe Veronicce, and Dr. Endlicher 

 in his ' Gen. Plant.^ follows this example ; lastly, Mr. Bentham in 

 his admirable monograph of this order arranges it in his tribe 

 Gratioleay and his subtribe Aptosimece (DC. Prod. x. 344). After 

 a careful examination of the structure of this genus, I have come 

 to a very different conclusion, and hope to show, by good evidence, 

 that its true place is near Atropa and Lycium, and therefore not 

 among the Scrophulariaceae. The structure of the corolla in 

 Leucophyllum precisely corresponds with that of Atropa, having 

 a campanulate tube, with a small border slightly oblique, of five 

 nearly equal rounded lobes, which are imbricately disposed in 

 aestivation, and five somewhat unequal stamens, two being always 

 shorter ; and it sometimes happens that the anthers of one of the 

 three other stamens are abortive, or the fifth stamen altogether 

 wanting; and such is the state, I conclude, of the species described 

 by Bonpland, as I have noticed in Hartweg^s specimen, although, 

 in Galeotti's plant of L. ambiguum^ I have found the flowers to be 

 always pentandrous, as in L. campanulatum. All the species of 

 Leucophyllum resemble Lycium in their fruticose habit, with 

 solitary, axillary, violet-coloured flowers, and one species has an 

 evident tendency to become spinous, like this last-mentioned 

 genus. Had Leucophyllum possessed a baccate fruit, its position 

 would unquestionably have been between Atropa and Lycium ; 

 but as it is capsular, it will fall into a new tribe, which may be 

 called Leucophyllece, that will stand between the Hyoscyameai and 

 Atropece [huj. op. iii. 166). The following is an outline of its 

 generic features : — 



Leucophyllum, Bon pi. (char, reform.). — Calyx parvus, pro- 

 funde 5-fidus, laciniis a^qualibus, lanceolatis, erectis. Corolla 



* A figure of this species and its analytical details will be given in plate b'J 

 of the ' Illustr. South Amcr. Plants.' 



