252 Mr. J. Miers on Ephedra. 



safely determined. I may here mention that all the details of 

 structure which I have observed will be minutely shown in the 

 drawings of the various analyses intended to illustrate the genus 

 Ephedra. 



From the circumstances above stated, it is requisite to correct 

 the former diagnosis of Ephedra, as far as regards the female 

 plants, in the following manner : — 



Flores ? ignoti (forsan achlamydei). Achenia 2, distincta, 

 rarius abortu solitaria, summo spicje amentiformis (ei 6 similis) 

 affixa, involucellis omnino vel semi-obtecta, oblonga, subtri- 

 gona, plano-convexa, collateralia, erecta. Pericarpium siccum, 

 coriaceum [mesocarpio fibi'illifero), glaberrimum, indehiscens, 

 apice glandulseformi pro tubilli transitu pervium, uniloculare. 

 Semen unicum, basi affixum, loculo paulo brevius, apicem 

 versus attenuatum; integumenia 2, simplicia, ab imo usque 

 ad medium coalita, dehinc superne libera et distincta; exic- 

 rius tenuiter membranaceum, apice subito longe contractum 

 et in tubillum pcrsistentem tubulosum per foramen pericarpii 

 prolatum et saepc longe exsertum attenuatum ; interius cras- 

 sius, opacum, corrugato-plicatum, apice glanduJa subglobosa 

 majuscula carnosa clausum ; hiliim cum chaluza basali con- 

 fusum, substipitatum ; raphe nulla ; albumen oblongum, sub- 

 compressum, obpyriforme, carnosnlum, embryo sequilongum, 

 apice suspensum ; suspensor brevis, cylindricus, opacus, lioccu- 

 losus, ad imum glandulte integumenti affixus, et ad partem 

 superiorem albuminis arete adhserens ; embryo carnosus albu- 

 mine requilongus et dimidio angustior; cotyledones lineari- 

 oblongtc, semiteretes, parallelim collaterales (commissura spicse 

 axin spectans), radicula iis ajquilata et sequilonga, supera, 

 subcompressa, gradatim ad apicem obtusum angustata. 



1. Ephedra Chilensis, n.sp.; — ramis ramulisque opposltis, vali- 

 diusculis, pallide viridulis, granuloso-striatellis, internodiis 

 longiusculis vel mediocribus, axillis valde nodosis ; foliis ru- 

 dimentariis, oppositis, crassiusculis, margine tenuibus, imo in 

 vaginam membranaceam serins ruptam connatis, laciniis li- 

 neari-acutis ; ramis floriferis axillaribus, brevibus vel brevis- 

 simis, apice spicellas 1-2-3 sessiles gerentibus ; spicellis 

 ovatis vel oblongis, ex involucellis per paria 6, decussatim op- 

 positis et imbricatis; involucellis ovatis, obtusis, per paria 

 imo connatis : fioribus c? in involucellis solitariis, hinc decus- 

 satim oppositis, perigonio incluso ; antheris 6, in columna 

 subsessilibus et exsertis : fl. $ pedunculo in axillis solitario, 

 elongato, supra medium 2-bracteolato, spicella solitaria termi- 

 nate, involucellis per paria 5 imo nexis ; acheniis 2, termina- 



