GESNERIACE^:. XV. ALLOPLECTUS. XVI. EPISCIA. 



655 



provinces. Leaves 3-7 inches long, reddish beneath. Corolla 

 yellow. 



Scattered-Jlcnered Alloplectus. Shrub climbing. 



2 A. CIRCINA'TUS (Mart. 1. c p. 56. t. 223. f. 2.) leaves ob- 

 long or broad-oblong, attenuated at the base, acuminated, finely 

 strigillose ; racemes axillary ; peduncles nodulose ; bracteas 

 larger than the oblong, calycine segments, and are, as well as 

 them, deep purple, and almost quite entire; limb of corolla 

 villous, shortly 5-lobed, revolute. Jj . w . S. Native almost 

 throughout Brazil, in moist parts of woods, climbing upon trees. 

 Besleria hirtella, Schott. in cestr. med. jahrb. 42. p. 8. ? Co- 

 rollas yellow. 



Circinate Alloplectus. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1824. Shrub 

 climbing. 



3 A. HI'SPIDUS (Mart. 1. c. p. 57.) leaves oblong-elliptic, 

 acute, serrately crenated, hispid ; peduncles axillary, solitary, 

 1 -flowered ; calycine segments ovate-lanceolate, sharply ser- 

 rated, hispid ; bracteas unknown. J? . S. Native of New 

 Granada, in humid places on the Andes of Popayan, and in the 

 valley of the river Mayo, between Mamendoy and the town of 

 Pasto, at the altitude of 1 040 hexapods. Besleria hispida, H. 

 B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 2. p. 399. Branches waned, his- 

 pid, while young. Leaves 2 inches long, and 1 broad. Corolla 

 yellow, hispid from pili ; limb oblique, 5-cleft, reflexed. Said 

 to be nearly allied to Besleria cristata. 



Hispid Alloplectus. Shrub climbing. 



4 A. KU'STHII ; leaves ovate-oblong, subacuminated, denticu- 

 lated, pilose above, and pilosely pubescent beneath, and pur- 

 plish ; peduncles axillary, few together, 1 -flowered ; calycine 

 segments ovate, acuminated, denticulated, pilose, purplish ; 

 bracteas unknown. J; . v-) . S. Native of New Granada, in 

 shady places on the Andes, about Quindiu, and near the Villa 

 La Erre ; and in the plains of Sacandonoy, between the town of 

 Almagner and Pasto, at the altitude of 1000 to 1200 hexapods. 

 Besleria bicolor, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 2. p. 398. 

 Branches hispid, subtetragonal. Corolla hairy, yellow, purple 

 on the back, and somewhat gibbous at the base ; limb somewhat 

 5-cleft, and sub-bilabiate. 



Kunth's Alloplectus. Shrub climbing. 



5 A. ? CALCARA'TUS ; leaves oblong, subacuminated, crenately 

 serrated at apex, pilose ; peduncles axillary, 2-4-flowered ; calyx 

 hairy, with oblong, acuminated, denticulated, coloured segments ; 

 limb of corolla 5-lobed ; bracteas unknown. T? . S. Native of 

 the Andes of Quindiu, near La Pamilla, at the altitude of 1130 

 hexapods. Besleria calcarata, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 

 2. p. 399. Branches fuscous, pilose, hispid while young. Co- 

 rolla orange-yellow, glabrous, tubularly calceolate, spurred 

 above at the base, and saccately inflated under the lower lip ; 

 spur short, straight, obtuse ; throat constricted ; lobes of limb 

 rounded : 2 superior ones larger. 



S/jurrerf-flowered Alloplectus. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



6 A. SAXGUI'XECS (Mart. 1. c.) leaves obovate-oblong, acumi- 

 nated, toothed, furnished with a few adpressed hairs, marked 

 with purple spots beneath ; flowers axillary, sessile ; calycine 

 segments deeply serrated, very hairy, coloured, fj . S. Native 

 of St. Domingo, and the Antilles ; of New Granada, on Mount 

 Quindiu, near El Passo del Machin, at the altitude of 1030 hex- 

 apods. Besleria sanguinea, Pers. syn. 2. p. 165. Dalberg&ria 

 phoemcea, Tussac. ant. 1. p. 141. t. 30. Calyxes more jagged 

 than serrated. Corolla tubular, villous, gibbous, sub-bilabiate, 

 ex Pers. ; rudiment of a fifth stamen wanting. 



Bloody-calyned Alloplectus. Shrub climbing. ? 



7 A. CRISTA'TUS (Mart. 1. c.) leaves ovate, serrated; pedun- 

 cles axillary, solitary, 1 -flowered ; bracteas cordate, toothed, 

 sessile, scarlet, as well as the calycine segments, which are ser- 

 rated ; corolla hairy outside ; lobes rounded, entire. ^ w S. 



Native of Guiana and Martinico, in humid woods. Besleria 

 cristata, Lin. syst. p. 468. Aubl. guian. 2. p. 637. Swartz, 

 obs. 232. Jacq. amer. p. 188. t. 119. Mill. diet. no. 3. 

 Plum. gen. 29, with a figure. Corolla yellowish. 



Cnwted-calyxed Alloplectus. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1739. 

 Shrub climbing. 



8 A. COCCI'NEUS (Mart. ). c.) leaves ovate, glabrous, stiff, a 

 little toothed ; peduncles axillary, bearing 3-6 flowers in an um- 

 bel at top ; bracteas 2, at the division of the common peduncle, 

 orbicularly cordate, toothed, scarlet, like the calycine segments, 

 which are serrated, f? . w . S. Native of Guiana, in marshy 

 parts of woods. Besleria coccinea, Aubl. guian. 2. p. 632. t. 

 255. Corolla and fruit yellow. 



Scarta-calyxed Alloplectus. Fl. ? Clt. 1819. Shrub 

 climbing. 



9 A. SCHOTTII ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, quite entire, pubes- 

 cent ; flowers axillary, crowded, nearly sessile ; calyxes red, 

 denticulated, roundish ; limb of corolla, which is clavate, erect- 

 ish. F2 . w . S. Native of Brazil. Besleria bicolor, Schot;. 

 in oestr. med. jahrh. 4. 2. p. 8. Besleria dichrous, Spreng. 

 syst. 2. p. 840. 



Scholt't Alloplectus. Shrub climbing. 



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



XVI. EPI'SCIA (from rri, epi, upon; and <ricta, tcta, a 

 shadow ; so named because the species delight in shady places.) 

 Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 39. Besleria species of authors. 



LIN. SYST. Didynamia, Angiospermia, Calyx free, 5-cleft 

 or 5-parted. Corolla inferior, funnel-shaped ; tube straightish, 

 gibbous behind at the base ; limb 5-lobed. Stamens 4, ditly- 

 namous, furnished with the rudiment of a fifth behind, which 

 rises from the base of the tube. Hypogynous ring swelling 

 into a gland behind. Capsule nearly globose, membranous, 2- 

 valved ; placentas 2, parietal, bilamellate. Seeds numerous, 

 oblong. Soft, juicy, glabrous, or villous, decumbent herbs, 

 rooting upon the earth or decayed trees. Leaves opposite, peti- 

 olate ; the middle nerve prominent beneath, and with the veins 

 thick, anastomosing, and juicy. Flowers axillary, solitary, or 

 in little cymes, and bracteate, of various colours. 



1 E. DECU'MBEXS (Mart. 1. c. p. 40. t. 216.) plant smooth- 

 ish ; stems decumbent and creeping ; leaves oblong, subcordate 

 at the base, acute, crenated ; cymes axillary and terminal ; calyx 

 about half as long as the corolla, with lanceolate, acuminated 

 subserrated segments ; lobes of corolla quite entire, y. . S. 

 Native of Brazil, in the province of Rio Negro, in marshy parts 

 of dense woods, along the river Japura, &c., creeping on the 

 trunks of decayed trees. Leaves 3-5 inches long, reddish be- 

 neath. Corolla white, Ij inch long. 



Decumbent Episcia. PI. 1 to 3 feet. 



2 E. RE'PTAXS (Mart. 1. c. p. 



41. t. 217.) plant pilosely hairy; FIG. 70. 



stemsarmentose,radicant ; leaves 

 ovate, obtuse, crenated ; pedun- 

 cles solitary, axillary, 1-flower- 

 ed ; calycine segments linear- 

 subspatulate, obtuse ; lobes of 

 corolla toothed. If.. S. Native 

 of Brazil, in thickets along the 

 river Japura and elsewhere. 

 Leaves whitish beneath. Corolla 

 scarlet, hairy outside, (fig. 70.) 

 Creeping Episcia. PI. creep- 

 ing. 



3 E. MELITTIFOLIA (Mart. ]. 



c. p. 42.) pilose ; stem erect ; 

 leaves ovate, acutish at both 



