548 



RUBIACE^E. CVII. NERTERA. CVIII. MITCHELLA. CIX. MEPHITIDIA. 



p. 49. N. repens, Ruiz et Pav. fl. per. 1. p. 60. t. 90. The 

 figure in Smith's icon. ined. exhibits much exserted anthers, and 

 the figure of fl. per. a long exserted style, but the figure in 

 Pet. Th. trist. has neither the anthers nor style exserted. There 

 are therefore two distinct species confounded under this name. 

 The specimens from Madagascar have pentamerous flowers (ex 

 Rich.), and those from Java have acuter leaves, on longer pe- 

 tioles than any other ; these are probably specifically distinct. 

 Depressed Nertera. PI. creeping on the ground. 



2 N. ADSU'ROENS (Pet. Th. fl. trist. d'ac. t. 11.) stems root- 

 ing at the base, but at length ascending at the points ; leaves 

 almost sessile, oval, undulated, with callous edges. 11. F. Native 

 of the Island of Tristan d'Acunha. Carm. in Lin. trans, vol. 12. 

 p. 505. Erythrodamnn majus, Pet. Th. fl. trist. d'ac. p. 42. A 

 larger plant than the preceding. 



Rising Nertera. PI. creeping. 



3 N. ? ALSINOIDES (Cham, et Schlecht. in Linnaea. 6. p. 413.) 

 leaves pubescent, and ciliated at first, but at length becoming 

 glabrous ; peduncles axillary, deflexed when in fruit, about equal 

 in length to the leaves; drupes juicy, globose. Tf.. F. Native 

 of Mexico, at Cuesta Grande de Jalacingo. Herb beset with a 

 few stiffish white hairs. Drupe bluish-black, containing 2 coria- 

 ceous 1 -seeded pyrenae. 



Chickneed-like Nertera. PI. creeping. 



Cult. The species of Nertera are small creeping suffruticose 

 evergreen plants, of little beauty even when in flower ; they 

 grow best in a mixture of turfy peat and sand ; and are increased 

 easily by separating the rooted creeping stems. They may be 

 placed among the alpine plants in summer, but in winter they 

 will require the protection of a green-house. They should be 

 grown in pots well drained with sherds, placed in pans of water. 



CVIII. MITCHE'LLA (so named by Linnaeus in honour 

 of John Mitchell, M.D. a physician in Virginia, who described 

 many genera of Virginian plants, which were published in act. 

 nat. cur. for. 1748). Lin. gen. no. 134. Juss. gen. 205. mem. 

 mus. 6. p. 373. Lam. ill. t. 63. Gaertn. fil. carp. 3. p. 70. t. 

 192. A. Rich. mem. soc. hist. nat. Par. 5. p. 220. D. C. prod. 

 4. p. 452. Chamsedaphne, Mitch, gen. p. 17. but not of 

 Buxb. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrandria, Monogynia. Calyx with an ovate- 

 globose tube, and a large 4-toothed limb. Corolla funnel- 

 shaped, with a terete tube, and a 4-lobed spreading limb, having 

 the throat and lobes of the limb hairy inside. Filaments adnate 

 to the tube, almost to the throat ; anthers ovate, hardly exserted. 

 Style filiform ; stigmas 4, inclosed. Berries almost globose, 

 crowned by the teeth of the calyx, containing 4 horny 1 -seeded 

 pyrenae each ; and sometimes containing 8, when 2 berries are 

 combined. Albumen somewhat cartilaginous. Embryo minute, 

 erect, with very short cotyledons. American glabrous creeping 

 evergreen herbs, with the habit of Linnaea or Nertera. Leaves 

 roundish or ovate. Stipulas small, solitary on each side. 

 Flowers axillary and terminal, sometimes combined by twos at 

 the tops of the peduncle, and sometimes solitary and sessile. 



1 M. REOPENS (Lin. spec. p. 161.) leaves roundish; flowers 2 

 on the top of each peduncle, combined ; berries combined. I/ . 

 H. Native of North America, from Boston to Carolina ; Upper 

 Canada ; and of Mexico between Pueblo- Viejo and Real del 

 Monte, in shady woods at the roots of trees, and among moss. 

 Pluk. aim, t. 444. f. 2. Cat. car. t. 20. Petiv. gaz. t. 1. f. 

 13. Corollas white, tinged with purple, usually 2 together on 

 the top of each peduncle, and seated on two combined ovaries; 

 the flowers are sometimes also combined, and therefore 8-cleft, 

 according to the obs. of Torrey. Berries red, insipid. 



Creeping Mitchella. Fl. June. Clt. 1761. PI. cr. 



2 M. OVA'TA (D. C. prod. 4. p. 452.) leaves ovate, acutish ; 



flowers solitary, sessile. If. . F. Native of South America, in 

 humid places at the foot of the burning mount Tunguragua, in 

 the kingdom of Quito. Flowers white, solitary, not by twos. 

 Nertera tetrasperma, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 3. p. 

 379. Spreng. syst. 1. p. 492. exclusive of the synonymes. 



Ovate-leaved Mitchella. PI. cr. 



Cult. These are small creeping evergreen plants of very little 

 beauty ; they will grow very well in a peat border, or in pots 

 filled with a mixture of peat and sand, placed among other 

 alpine plants ; they are easily increased by separating the creep- 

 ing stems. 



CIX. MEPHITI'DIA (from mephitis, a damp of the earth; 

 in reference to the ungrateful smell of the shrubs). Reinw. in 

 Blum, bijdr. D. C. prod. 4. p. 452. Lasianthus, Jack, in Lin. 

 trans. 14. p. 125. Blum, bijdr. p. 995. A. Rich. mem. soc. 

 hist. nat. par. 5. p. 210. but not of Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Tetra-Hex&ndria, Monogynia. Limb of calyx 

 3-6-parted or toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped, regular, 4-6- 

 cleft, for the most part hairy. Stamens 4-6, inserted towards 

 the throat ; filaments very short ; anthers linear, exserted or in- 

 closed. Stigmas 4-9, linear, thick. Drupe baccate, crowned 

 by the permanent calyx, containing 4-9 triquetrous coriaceously 

 arillate 1 -seeded pyrenae. Shrubs or subshrubs, natives of In- 

 dia, usually with an ungrateful smell. Flowers crowded or in 

 dense heads, axillary and terminal, bracteate. Drupes usually 

 blue. This genus, according to Blume, is nearly allied to An- 

 cyldnthus and Psathura. 



* Limb of calyx 3-6-parted. 



1 M. CYANOCA'RPA (Jack, in Lin. trans. 14. p. 125. under 

 Lasianthus,) plant suffruticose, hairy ; leaves oblong, acuminated, 

 attenuated at the base ; flowers usually by threes, involucrated 

 by bracteas. fy . S. Native of Sumatra and Java, in shady 

 places on the mountains. Blum, bijdr. p. 996. Bracteas cor- 

 date. Corollas yellow, ex Jack, whitish, ex Blume. Berry 

 blue, pilose, size of a gooseberry. 



Blue-fruited Mephitidia. Shrub. 



2 M. ATTENUA V TA (Jack, 1. c. p. 126. under Lasianthus, ) plant 

 suffruticose, villous ; leaves oblong, attenuated at the apex, but 

 roundly cordate at the base, glabrous above ; flowers axillary, 

 3-4-together, almost sessile, involucrated by lanceolate bracteas. 

 ^ . S. Native of the interior of Bencoolen. Calyx 4-parted. 

 Corolla yellow, pilose. Berries deep blue, smaller than those 

 of the preceding species. 



Attenuated-leaved Mephitidia. Shrub. 



3 M. IN;EQUA X LIS (Blum, bijdr. p. 996. under Lasianthus, as 

 well as all the following species,) shrubby, hairy ; leaves oblong, 

 acuminated, unequally rounded at the base ; flowers axillary, 

 crowded, involucrated by bracteas. lj . S. Native of Java, on 

 mounts Salak and Seribu. Corolla white. 



Unequal-leaved Mephitidia. Shrub. 



4 M. RHINOCEROTIS (Blum, bijdr. p. 996.) shrubby ; leaves 

 oblong, acuminated, rounded at the base, glabrous above, but 

 hairy beneath, as well as the branches and calyxes ; flowers 

 crowded, axillary. ^ . S. Native of Java, in the higher woods 

 on mounts Salak, Gede, &c. Corollas white. 



Horn-snouted Mephitidia. Shrub. 



5 M. CAPITA'TA (Blum, bijdr. p. 996.) shrubby ; leaves ob- 

 long-lanceolate, acuminated, attenuated at the base, glabrous 

 above, and hairy beneath, as well as the branches, peduncles, 

 and calyxes ; heads of flowers pedunculate, axillary. fj . S. 

 Native of Java, in woods on the mountains. Flowers white. 



Capitate-fiowered Mephitidia. Shrub. 



6 M. TOMENTO'SA (Blum, bijdr. p. 997.) shrubby ; leaves ob- 

 long, long-acuminated, acute at the base, glabrous above, but 



