Mr. J. Miers on the genera Hyoscyamus and Physochlsena. 473 



This plant grows by tlie side of the former species^ and little 

 or no diiFerence is to be seen between them in the size and shape 

 of the leaves : they are however less fuscous, and do not become 

 so thick and dark in drying, the pubescence is less dense, and the 

 nervures beneath are prominent and green. The inflorescence 

 is panicular, not corymbose; the pedicel, as well as its small 

 sessile ovate pointed bract, and the calyx, being covered with 

 dense, short, patent, glandular hairs : the corolla, of a pale pur- 

 plish colour, is slightly pubescent externally ; its aestivation is 

 distinctly imbricate, with its external lobe on the contrary side 

 to the more oblique portion, to which the stamens and style are 

 inclined ; the ovarium exhibits several long simple hairs upon its 

 surface. 



5. Physochlcena prcsalta. Belenia prsealta, Decne. Jacq. Voy. 

 Bot.l\4i. tab. 120. Hyoscyamus prsealtus,fF«^.7?ep. iii. 21; — 

 herba perennis, pilis brevibus rarisque viscidulis tota inspersa, 

 foliis e parte infra medium lanceolatis, imo deltoideis, subiter 

 acuminatis, et in petiolum incrassatum decurrentibus, supra 

 glabris, subtus rachi crassissimo, et in venis prominentibus 

 viscidulo-pilosis ; panicula terminali, elongata, ramosa, ramis 

 longis, laxiflora, pedicellis calyce longioribus, bracteatis, cer- 

 nuis, demum elongatis, erectis ; calyce brevi, urceolato, den- 

 tibus 5 brevibus reflexis, fructifero valde aucto, et subincurvo ; 

 corolla viridi-lutescente, venis viridibus picta. — Himalaya. 



This plant appears much taller than any of the foregoing spe- 

 cies, its inflorescence much longer and more lax, the calyx grows 

 to a larger size Considerably, and the corolla is of a greenish yel- 

 low, marked with dark green reticulations, as in Hyoscyamus. It 

 approaches Hyoscyamus muticus, which probably belongs rather 

 to this genus, on account of its long, panicular, terminal inflo- 

 rescence, the obtuse lobes of its calyx, and often purple flowers. 

 The leaves are 3| inches long (exclusive of its decurrent petiole 

 of I an inch), and 1| inch broad. The inflorescence is 7 or 8 

 inches long ; the corolla is more campanular than that of the 

 typical species, the stamens being included; the style alone is 

 exserted : the calyx in flower is 4 lines long, tubular, and 2 lines 

 in diameter ; it subsequently grows to a length of 1 1 lines and 

 to a diameter of 4 lines. In the drawing above quoted, a section 

 is given of the seed of this species, in which there appears a 

 manifest error in the relative positions of the radicle and coty- 

 ledons in regard to the hilum : it seems very unhkely that it 

 should differ in this respect from the features described in the 

 generic character, which are derived from careful observation 

 upon several other species, and which are conformable to the 

 structure known to exist in all the allied genera in this family. 



