652 



GESNERIACEjE. VII. BESLERIA. VIII. HYPOCYRTA. IX. COLUMNEA. 



Solanum-like Besleria. Shrub 3 to 6 feet. 



6 B. INCARNA'TA (Aubl. guian. 2. p. 635. t. 256.) leaves 

 oblong, crenated, tomentose on both surfaces ; peduncles axil- 

 lary, solitary, 1 -flowered ; genitals exserted. "If. . S. Native 

 of Guiana. Plant erect, herbaceous, tomentose. Stem tetra- 

 gonal. Corollas purplish; tube long, ventricose : lobes of limb 

 reflexed, roundish, unequal, fringed. 



Flesh-coloured-fiowered Besleria. Fl. ? Clt. 1820. PI. 2 feet. 



7 B. ? VIOLA'CEA (Aubl. guian. 2. p. 637. t. 254.) leaves ovate, 

 acute, quite entire ; peduncles racemosely panicled, terminal ; 

 stem scandent. I? . S. Native of Guiana, in woods. Leaves 

 glabrous, stiff. Flowers purple, size of those of Lilac. Calyx 

 ventricose, 5-toothed, purple. Corolla with a curved tube and 

 spreading limb. Berry purple, edible. 



Var. ft, ccerulea (Aubl. guian. 2. p. 631.) berries blue. 

 Fiofei-berried Besleria. Shrub climbing. 

 Cult. For culture and propagation see Rytidophyllum, p. 

 650. 



VIII. HYPOCY'RTA (from i, hypo, under; and /cvproe, 

 cyrtos, gibbous ; the under part of the tube of the corolla 

 exhibits a conspicuous gibbosity.) Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 48. 



LIN. SYST. Didynamia, Angiospermia. Calyx free, deeply 

 5-parted. Corolla inferior, tubular, gibbous behind at the base, 

 but, with the tube, ventricose in front : limb 5-lobed, or 5- 

 toothed, nearly equal. Stamens 4, didynamous, with the rudi- 

 ment of a fifth behind, which rises from the base of the tube ; 

 anthers cohering by pairs. Hypogynous ring bearing a gland 

 behind. Berry globose, juicy, coloured, 1 -celled. Seeds many, 

 fixed to 2 2-lobed, parietal placentas (f. 68. f.) Glabrous, or 

 hairy shrubs, inordinately branched, extending and radicant, rarely 

 erect. Leaves opposite, thickish, paler beneath, and shining, 

 and often reddish. Flowers axillary, solitary, or aggregate, of a 

 beautiful colour, such as scarlet, white, cream-coloured, and 

 rose-coloured. Some of the species grow upon old trees, or in 

 humid places throughout tropical Brazil. 



SECT. I. CODONA'NTHE (from KtaSwv, kodon, a bell ; and aydog, 

 anthos,& flower ; in reference to the campanulate tube of corolla.) 

 Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 49. Tube of corolla sub-cam- 

 panulate, a little more ventricose on the lower side ; limb 

 broadish. 



1 H. GRA'CILIS (Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 50. t. 220.) gla- 

 brous ; branches inordinate, ascending, rooting every where, 

 loose, epidermis shining; leaves on short petioles, ovate, with 

 sub-undulately-toothed edges ; peduncles axillary, solitary, or 

 twin ; corollas sub-campamilately tubular : lobes rounded, spread- 

 ing, t? . S. Native of Brazil, in various places among stones, 

 in humid places from Rio Janeiro to Para. Corollas glabrous, 

 white outside, yellow inside, and spotted with red at the base. 

 Branches obsoletely tetragonal. 



Slender Hypocyrta. Shrub creeping. 



2 H. AGGREGA'TA (Mart. 1. c. p. 51. t. 221.) stem erect, 

 nearly simple, hairy ; leaves oblong, acuminated at both ends, 

 quite entire, piiose in the young state ; petioles and nerves hairy 

 beneath ; peduncles axillary, aggregate ; calyxes vermillion 

 coloured ; corollas urceolate : lobes roundish, spreading, fy . S. 

 Native of Brazil, in the province of Rio Negro, in woods along 

 the river Japura, near Manacuru and elsewhere. Stem terete, 

 or obsoletely tetragonal. Corolla fine scarlet, finely pubescent 

 outside. 



dggregale-fiovtercd Hypocyrta. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



SECT. II. ONCOGA'STRA (from oycoe, oncos, a hook; and yoorjjp, 

 gaster, a belly ; in allusion to the tube being gibbously ventri- 

 cose downwards on the lower side.) Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 



49. Tube of corolla very much gibbously ventricose down- 

 wards ; limb short, toothed, erect. 



3 H. HIRSU'TA (Mart. 1. c. p. 



52. t. 222.) stem erectish.or as- FIG. 68. 



cending, villously hairy at top ; 

 leaves on short petioles, obo- 

 vate, bluntish, hairy ; flowers 

 axillary, solitary ; corollas great- 

 ly swollen in front: limb con- 

 tracted, erect, 5-toothed. ^ S. 

 Native of Brazil, in the mine 

 provinces, in shady, stony places 

 on the edges of woods, near 

 Villa Rica and elsewhere. Stem 

 flexuous, or obsoletely tetra- 

 gonal. Corolla an inch long, 

 scarlet, pubescent, (fig. 68.) 



Hairy Hypocyrta. Shrub 1 

 to 1| foot. 



4 H. STRIGILLOSA (Mart. 1. c. 

 p. 52.) stem erectish, villous at 



top ; leaves on short petioles, oblong, acutish, mucronulate ; 

 flowers axillary, solitary ; corollas coarsely ventricose in front ; 

 limb contracted, erect, 5-toothed. fj . S. Native of Brazil, in 

 the mine provinces, on the rocks of Mount Lenheiro, near St. 

 Joao d' El Rey and elsewhere ; also on the mountains of Sin- 

 cora, in the province of Bahia. Flowers similar to those of the 

 preceding, except the calyx, which has the segments broader and 

 acute, and the strigae on the nerves of the leaves are more con- 

 spicuous than in the other parts, and the corolla is less pubes- 

 cent. Perhaps belonging to the first section Codonanthe. 

 Strigillose Hypocyrta. Shrub 1 to 1 5 foot. 



5 H. CII.IOSA (Mart. 1. c. p. 53.) hairy ; stem decumbent, 

 radicant ; leaves broad-lanceolate, acuminated at both ends, a 

 little serrated ; flowers axillary, aggregate ; calyxes subulate, 

 purplish ; corollas campanulately tubular: lobes roundish, spread- 

 ing : lower one with bent in ciliae. fj . S. Native of Brazil, in 

 the diocess of Japura, in woods at Manacuru. Stems rooting 

 on trees, terete, purplish. Corolla more than an inch long, 

 cream-coloured, pubescent ; tube calcarately gibbous at the 

 base behind, and widened upwards. 



Ciliated-Aowered Hypocyrta. Shrub creeping. 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Rylidophyllum, p. 650. 



IX. COLU'MNEA (a name given by Plumier, in honour of 

 Fabius Columna, as he is commonly called, or Fabio Colonna, of 

 the noble family of Colonna, in Italy ; author of " Minus cog- 

 nitarum stirpium Ecphrasis," Rome, 1616 ; and " Phytoba- 

 sanos," 1 vol. 4to. Naples, 1592.) Plum. 33. Lin. gen. no. 

 792. Schreb. gen. no. 1060. Juss. gen. 121. ed. Usteri. p. 

 135. Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 56. t. 224. f. 2. 



LIN. SYST. Didynamia, Angiospermia. Calyx inferior, 5- 

 parted. Corolla tubular, straightish, gibbous behind at the 

 base, ringent : upper lip erect, arched : lower one trifid, 

 spreading. Stamens 4, didynamous ; anthers connected with 

 the rudiment of a fifth behind. Glands 1-5 around the ovarium. 

 Berry 1 -celled ; placentas 2, parietal, 2-lobed. Seeds oblong. 

 Stems flexile, erect, or scandent. Leaves decussately op- 

 posite, thickish, hairy, or pubescent, somewhat serrated. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, solitary, or crowded. Corollas scarlet. 



1 C. SCA'NDENS (Lin. spec. 891.) leaves ovate, acute, serrated, 

 rather villous ; segments of calyx denticulated, and are, as well 

 as the corollas, pubescent; upper lip of corolla undivided. \j . 

 ^_,. S. Native of Guiana, and the West Indies, in humid, shady 

 woods, climbing upon trees. Jacq. amer. pict. t. 179. hort. 



