GENTIANE2E. XLIV. EXACUM. XLV. MICROCALE. XLVI. DESFONTAINIA. 



213 



Kashn-a-swa. E. tetragonum, D. Don, prod. fl. nep. p. 128, but 

 not of Roxb. Stamens exserted. Flowers large, yellow. 



Hamilton's Exacum. PI. 1 to 2 teet. 



12 E. SULCA'TUM (Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 415.) erect, branched, 

 furrowed on the opposite sides of the stem and branches ; leaves 

 nearly sessile, lanceolate, fleshy.S-nerved ; flowers terminal, nume- 

 rous, trichotomously corymbose ; segments furnished each with a 

 keel on the back ; stamens erect ; stigma bifid ; capsule globular. 

 $ . S. Native of Bengal. Sebae v a sulcata, Spreng. syst. 1. p. 

 426. E. dichotomum, Herb. madr. E. stellatum, Hamilt. 

 herb. Root fibrous. Leaves from 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers 

 bright blue, those on the forks solitary, and on long pedicels. 

 Peduncles 4-sided. Bracteas ovate, recurved. Anthers ovate- 

 oblong, connivent. This appears-i* be intermediate between 

 Sebafa and E'xacum, from the bind stigma. 



Fi/rroH-fd-stemmed Exacum. PI. -J- to 1 foot. 



Cult. All the species of this genus are very showy when in 

 blossom. The seeds should be reared on a hot bed, like those 

 of other tender annuals ; and about the end of May the plants 

 may be planted out in the open border, in a warm, sheltered 

 situation ; and some of the larger, showy kinds may be planted 

 in pots, and otherwise treated like Balsams. 



XLV. MICROCA'LE (from /mrpoc, micros, small, and taXoc, 

 kalos, pretty ; plants small and very pretty). Link. E'xacum 

 species, Smith. Gentiana species, Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrandrla Monogynia. Calyx divided about 

 halfway into 4 equal acute segments, permanent. Corolla with 

 a swelling tube, length of calyx ; and a 4-parted, spreading 

 limb ; segments equal, imbricate in the bud. Stamens 4, in- 

 closed, filiform, erect ; anthers roundish-oblong. Ovarium oval. 

 Style filiform, inclining a little, as long as the limb. Stigma 

 capitate, undivided. Capsule filling the tube of the corolla, 

 which gradually enlarges with it ; elliptic, compressed, imper- 

 fectly 2-celled. Seeds small, rou.;h, attached to a fixed or 

 finally separated double placenta. Herbaceous, glabrous, 

 intensely bitter plants. Leaves simple, entire, and are, as well 

 as the branches or flower-stalks, opposite. Flowers terminal, 

 yellow, or rose coloured. 



1 M. FILIFORME (Link. 1. c.) stem dichotomous from the bot- 

 tom, filiform ; leaves chiefly radical, lanceolate, or spatulate, 

 1 -nerved, sessile ; flowers terminal, on long pedicels. Q. H. 

 Native of Europe, in sandy, turfy bogs ; in England, in Hamp- 

 shire, Devonshire, Cornwall, Dorsetshire, and Sussex, in rotten, 

 marshy, sandy, turfy ground ; in Ireland, in Dursey Island, 

 Cork ; in Chili, about Conception. Gentiana filiformis, Lin. 

 spec. 335. With. 263. Oed. fl. dan. 324. Ehrh. phyt. 43. 

 E'xacum filiforme, Smith, fl.brit. 182. engl. hot. t. 235. Hook. 

 fl. lond. fasc. 2. p. 91. t. 8. Vaill par. p. 32. t. 6. f. 3. Root 

 fibrous. Leaves an inch long. Corollas small, yellow. 



Filiform Microcale. Fl. Ju. July. England. PI. | foot. 



2 M. PCLCHE'LLUM ; leaves lanceolate?; sessile; panicle 

 corymbose; pedicels filiform ; calycine segments subulate. () 

 H. Native of New Jersey, on the sea coast. E'xacum pulchel- 

 lum, Pursh, fl. amer. sept. 1. p. 100. Sabbatia pulchella, 

 Spreng. syst. 1. p. 581. Flowers rose coloured. Plant resem- 

 bling very much the preceding. 



Neat Microcale. Fl. May. Cult. 1826. PI. | foot. 



A M. PUSILLUM ; stem much branched, dichotomous ; leaves 

 oblong, 3-nerved ; peduncles short, crowded ; segments of 

 corolla connivent. O- H. Native of Europe, in inundated 

 places. Gentiana pusilla, Lam. diet. 2. p. 645. Chirdnia 

 inaperta, VVilld. E'xacum pusflluvn, D. C. fl. franc, no. 

 Spreng. syst. I. p. 425. Vaill. par. t. 6. f. 2. 



Small Microcale. PI. \ foot. 



12 



Cult. Sow the seed in a moist situation, in peat earth, or 

 in pots, which should be kept moist, by being placed in pans of 

 water. 



Tribe III. 



DESFONTAINIE'jE. Calyx 4-5-parted ; segments nearly 

 equal, obtuse, cartilaginous, nerved, imbricate in aestivation. 

 Corolla tubular, cartilaginous, 5-nerved ; nerves running through 

 the axis of the segments ; limb 4-5-lobed: lobes very veiny, 

 roundish, retuse, with ciliated edges, imbricate in aestivation. 

 Stamens 4-5, inclosed, glabrous, combined with the tube of the 

 corolla nearly their whole length, free at apex, thick convex on 

 one side and flat on the other ; anthers erect, innate 2-celled : 

 cells linear, parallel, separated by narrow intervals, inserted in a 

 large fleshy connective (continuation of the filaments), which is 

 shorter than them, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovarium globose, 

 1 -celled ; ovula very numerous, horizontal, without order, ad- 

 nate to septiform placentas. Style filiform, glabrous ; stigma 

 capitate. Berry globose, 1 -celled, many-seeded. Placentas 

 4-5, parietal, hence the berry appears many-celled ; free from 

 the inner margin ; thickened, trigonal, having reflexed, seminife- 

 rous sides. Column none. Seeds numerous, disposed without 

 order, erect, obovate, ventricose, angular; furnished with an 

 umbilicus at the base, a dark brown dilated chalaza at apex, 

 and a prominent, callous raphe on the inner side. Outer testa 

 coriaceous, fulvous, full of pellucid dots : inner one membra- 

 nous, paler, adhering to the nucleus. Albumen copious, fleshy, 

 white. Embryo very minute, roundish, milk coloured, erect in 

 the umbilical end of the seed, with very short cotyledons, and 

 a thick, very blunt radical. Evergreen shrubs, natives of South 

 America, having a very bitter taste. Leaves opposite, petiolate, 

 spinosely toothed : petioles articulated with the branches. 

 Flowers terminal, solitary, pedunculate ; peduncles bibracteate. 

 Corollas scarlet, with a yellow limb. Berries white. 



Some groups of plants exist in whose external features there 

 is nothing that can lead to a knowledge of their affinities ; and 

 among these may be ranked the remarkable genus under con- 

 sideration. From observing the similarity in the disposition of 

 the veins of the calyx and corolla, and the consistence of these 

 organs, as well as the nervation and dentation of the leaves, I 

 was led to conclude that it might be allied to Theophrdsta; but 

 a closer examination did not confirm that conjecture ; although 

 from remarking the nature of the albumen, and the structure 

 and position of the embryo, I was afterwards induced to com- 

 pare it with the Gentianeae, to which family I am now fully per- 

 suaded it must be referred, notwithstanding its toothed leaves, 

 and the greater number of its placentae. D. Don, in edinb. 

 phil. journ. July, Sept. 1831. 



XLVI. DESFONTA'INIA (for derivation see Fontanesia, 

 p. 51. of the present volume.) Ruiz, et Pav. fl. per. syst. 1. p. 

 59. fl. per. 2. p. 47. t. 186. gen. t. 5. Humb. et Bonpl. pi. 

 aequin. 1. p. 157. t. 45. H. B. et Kunth. nov. gen. amer. 7. p. 

 274. syn. 4. p. 267. D. Don, in edin. phil. journ. July, Sept. 

 1831. LinkiaPers. ench. 1. p. 219. 



LIN. SYST. Tetra-Pentdndrla Monogynia, Character the 

 same as that of the tribe. 



1 D. SPINOSA (Ruiz, et Pav. 1. c.) calycine segments Ungulate, 

 and are, as well as the leaves, glabrous. Ij . G. Native of 

 Peru, in forests, at Churupallana, Tarma, and betwixt Munna and 

 Pozuzo, Ruiz, et Pav. ; and on the Andes of Quindiu, and in 

 Parama de Almaguer, Humb. et Bonpl. D. splendens, Humb. 

 et Bonpl. pi. aequin. amer. 1. p. 157. t. 45. H. B. et Kunth. 

 nov. gen. 7. p. 274. Linkia Peruviana, Pers. ench. 1. p. 219. 

 An erect, much branched, evergreen, glabrous shrub. Leaves 

 elliptic-oblong, -coriaceous, glabrous, shining above, cuneated, 



