MELASTOMACEjE. XX. MICROHCIA. 



715 



villi beneath, and on the margins ; flowers solitary, on short pe- 

 dicels in the axils of the upper leaves ; calyx bristly, with an 

 urceolate tube and a 5-toothed limb ; anthers dissimilar. 1; . S. 

 Native of Brazil, in the province of Bahia, on the mountains. 

 Rhexia vestita, Schrank et Mart. mss. Petals purplish. Leaves 

 2 lines long. Anthers ovate, terminating in short beaks ; with 

 the connectives appendiculate, the appendages in 4 filiform, and 

 in the other 4 they are dilated and blunt. 

 Clothed Microlicia. Sh. f to 1 foot. 



18 M. VARIOLOSA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 119.) shrubby, branched, 

 erect ; branches tetragonal ; leaves sessile, ovate, oval or ob- 

 long, quite entire, somewhat 3-nerved, full of glandular dots on 

 both surfaces ; flowers solitary, axillary or subterminal, on short 

 pedicels ; calyx turbinate, with 5 triangularly oblong lobes, 

 which are hardly shorter than the tube ; anthers dissimilar. 1j . 

 S. Native of Brazil and Peru. Leaves 2-4 lines long, and 1^ 

 to 3 broad. Capsule ovate, 3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds oblong, 

 kidney-shaped, dotted when examined with a lens. 



Far. a, hirsuta (D. C. 1. c.) branches and leaves villous on 

 both surfaces, or velvety. The Rhexia fasciculata, virgulata, 

 thymifolia, baccharoides, euphorbioides, avicularis, hirsuta, 

 venaista, and enervia of Schrank and Mart. mss. are probably 

 only variations of the same. 



Var. ft, glabra (D. C. 1. c.) branches rather hispid ; leaves 

 glabrous. The Rhexia elachistophylla, Cochobambae, alter- 

 nans, and variolosa of Schrank et Mart. mss. arc probably varia- 

 tions of this plant. 



Variolose Microlicia. Sh. \ to 1 foot. 



19 M. GLA'BRA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 120.) shrubby, much 

 branched, glabrous on both surfaces ; branches fastigiate, tetra- 

 gonal ; leaves sessile, oval-oblong, acute, quite entire, hardly 

 3-nerved at the base, full of depressed dots on both surfaces ; 

 flowers on short pedicels, axillary and terminal, solitary ; calyx 

 with an obovate tube : and 5 lobes, which are triangular at the 

 base, and subulate at the apex, hardly shorter than the tube ; 

 anthers dissimilar. Tj . S. Native of Brazil. This is an in- 

 termediate species between M. variolosa and M. scoparia. Per- 

 haps the same as ]\I. linopliijlla. 



Glabrous Microlicia. Sh. -j to 1 foot. 



26 M. LINOPHY'LLA (D. Don, 1. c.) shrubby, much branched, 

 glabrous ; leaves lanceolate, awned, flat, quite entire, 3-nerved, 

 glabrous ; flowers solitary, nearly sessile, terminal or axillary. 

 fj . S. Native of Brazil. Shrub erect, twiggy, with tetragonal 

 branches. Leaves spreading. Calyx glabrous. 



Flax-leaved Microlicia. Sh. J to 1 foot. 



21 M. SCOPA'RIA (D. C. 1. c.) suff'ruticose, much branched, 

 quite glabrous ; branches fastigiate, tetragonal, erect ; leaves 

 sessile, linear-subulate, quite entire, rather fleshy, nerveless, 

 channelled above ; flowers solitary, terminal, on short pedicels ; 

 calyx with a cylindrically turbinate tube : and 5 linear-subulate 

 lobes, which are about equal in length to the tube ; anthers dis- 

 similar. ?2 S. Native of Brazil, in the province of Minas 

 Geraes in sandy fields on the tops of the highest mountains. 

 Rhexia scoparia, Aug. St. Hil. in Bonpl. rhex. p. 152. t. 59. 

 Leaves 2-3 lines long. Petals purple. Anthers 1 0, oblong, the 

 5 smaller ones ending in a short cylindrical appendage each, and 

 having their connectives drawn out into an arched thread. Ova- 

 rium 3-celled, many-seeded. 



Broom Microlicia. Sh. 1 to 2 feet. 



22 M. ISOPHY'LLA (D. C. 1. c.) fruticulose, much branched, 

 glabrous ; branches fastigiate, filiform, tetragonal ; leaves ses- 

 sile, oblong-subulate, quite entire, 1 -nerved, full of pitted dots ; 

 flowers solitary, terminal; tube of calyx turbinate ; lobes subu- 

 late, longer than the tube. >j . S. Native of Brazil, in the 

 province of Minas Geraes, in the high sandy pastures on the 

 mountains. Rhexia isophylla, and R. unc&ta, Schrank and 

 Mart. mss. Very like M. scoparia. Capsule 3-4-celled. An- 



VOL. II. 



thers dissimilar, ovate, beaked : in the longer ones the connective 

 is drawn out into a long, cuneiform, rather emarginate append- 

 age, but in the others it is short and blunt at the articulation. 

 Equal-leaved Microlicia. Sh. 1 foot. 



23 M. ARISTA'TA (D. C. prod. 3. addend, p. 484.) fruticulose, 

 much branched, glabrous ; branches tetragonal ; leaves linear, 

 quite entire, slightly 3-nerved, full of dots on both surfaces, 

 ending in an awn, like the calycine lobes ; flowers axil- 

 lary, solitary, and terminal tern, almost sessile ; calyx oblong, 

 10-ribbed. ^ . S. Native of Brazil, in the province of Minas 

 Geraes on the mountains, particularly on Serro Frio. The habit 

 of the plant is almost that of Li/thrum or Satureja. Anthers 

 ovate-oblong, terminated by a tubular beak each ; the con- 

 nectives of the 5 longer ones long, and calcaxate at the base. 

 Capsule 3-celled. Seeds cochleate, permanent around the axis. 



yfninerf-calyxed Microlicia. PI. -| to 1 foot. 



24 M. ERICOIDES (D. Don, 1. c. p. 302.) shrubby ; leaves 

 linear, mucronate, flat, loose ; flowers twin ; calyx glabrous. 

 Tj . S. Native of Brazil. Stems numerous, ascending, tetra- 

 gonal, almost simple, tufted, rising from a thick root. Rhexia 

 ericoides, Spreng. is distinct from this plant, and is probably 

 referrible to the genus Chcetdstoma. 



Heath-like Microlicia. Sh. -J to 1 foot. 



25 M. CUPRE'SSINA (D. Don, 1. c.) shrubby ; leaves lanceo- 

 late, pungent, numerous, imbricate, marginate ; flowers soli- 

 tary ; calyx hispid. T? S. Native of Brazil. Stem erect, 

 much branched ; branches terete, slender, proliferous, full of 

 leaves at the apex, but naked below. 



Cypress-like Microlicia. Sh. 1 to foot. 



26 M. TRICHOCALYCINA (D. C. 1. c.) shrubby, much branched, 

 smoothish ; branches tetragonal ; leaves sessile, oblong-linear, 

 acute, almost quite entire, usually 3-nerved, glabrous, full of 

 glandular dots beneath ; floral and calyx leaves bearing long dis- 

 tant stiff" hairs ; calyx subglobose, with 5 subulate lobes ; anthers 

 dissimilar. J? . S. Native of Brazil, in the province of Minas 

 Geraes, on Mount Grao-mayor, at the height of 4000 feet. 

 Rhexia trichocalycina, Mart, et Schrank, mss. Leaves longer 

 and more spreading than those of M. scoparia, to which the 

 present plant is nearly allied. Petals purple. Anthers 10, 

 ovate, with short beaks : 5 of which have their connectives ap- 

 pendiculate. Capsule 3-celled. Seeds oblong, rather incurved, 

 dotted when examined by a lens. 



Hairy-calyxed Microlicia. Sh. 1 foot. 



27 M. ARENARUEFOLIA (D. C. 1. c.) sufFruticose, much 

 branched, quite glabrous ; branches slender, terete; leaves ses- 

 sile, linear, acuminated, quite entire, almost veinless ; flowers on 

 short pedicels, axillary, solitary ; lobes of calyx 5, linear-subu- 

 late, longer than the tube ; capsule 3-valved. fj . S. Native 

 of Peru, at Cochobambo. Rhexia arenariaefolia, Mart, et 

 Schrank, mss. Flower-bud oblong, acute. Stamens unknown. 

 Flowers unknown. 



Sand-worl- leaved Microlicia. Sh. ^ to ^ foot. 



28 M. SETOSA (D. C. 1. c.) fruticulose; branches glabrous, 

 fuscous, knotted ; leaves almost sessile, full of dots, quite glabrous, 

 linear-oblong, obsoletely 3-nerved, bristly ; peduncles very short, 

 axillary, and terminal ; calyx campanulate, with 5 linear spread- 

 ing teeth, each terminating in a bristle. J? . S. Native of Bra- 

 zil. Rhexia setosa, Spreng. neue. entd. 1 . p. 304. 



Bristly Microlicia. Sh. \ to 1 foot. 



Cult. All the species are dwarf plants, growing in inundated 

 places of meadows. Some of them, therefore, require to be 

 grown as subaquatic plants, that is, in pans filled with a mixture 

 of peat and sand in the bottom, and filled up with water, but 

 the water should not rise higher than an inch or an inch and a 

 half above the soil ; others require to be grown in pots, placed 

 in pans of water. The species are increased by seeds or 

 dividing. 



. 5C 



