260 Mr. J. Miers on Ephedra. 



Monte Cotopaxi, altit. 12,000 ped. (Jameson), Monte Anti- 

 sana $ (Hartwegg, No. 1394). 



Apparently a shrub of stunted growth, found in the fissures 

 of rocks at a great elevation, the branchlets being ^ to | line 

 thick, with internodes 5 to 7 lines apart; opposite leaflets 1 line 

 long, which for half their length are united into a vaginant tube 

 round each node, becoming afterw^ards more or less torn to their 

 base. The male spikelets are 2 lines long, 1 line broad, with 

 involucels and perigonium J line long; staminiferous column 

 yellow, f line long, bearing five clustered sessile anthers opening 

 by two pores in the apex. The fructiferous spikelets are 2^ lines 

 long. If line diam. ; the involucels are of a dark brassy metallic 

 hue, with a finely granulated surface. 



The Ephedra humilis, Weddell (Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3. xiii. 251), 

 from Puno in Bolivia, does not appear to be specifically distinct 

 from the above plant. The species is much allied to the Ephedra 

 dumosa described in a preceding page. 



9. Ephedra Tweediana, I'isch., Meyer, Mem. Acad. Petrop. v. 

 99. tab. 9 ; — ramis ramulisque oppositis, ramosis, erectius- 

 culis, teneribus, subvirgatis, pallidis, striatis, subgranulosis, 

 imo vaginatis, ad axillas nodosas subarticulatis, internodiis 

 subelongatis ; foliis oppositis, aut rarius verticillatim ternis, 

 distinctis, imo linea transversal! nexis, basi concavis, superne 

 hyalino-membranaceis, acuminatis, et in setam longissimam 

 filiformem terminatis : spicellis S in quaque axilla solitariis, 

 vel 2-3-4 glomeratis, sessilibus, oblongis, acutis, basi 4-brac- 

 teatis; involucellis per paria 4-5, imo nexis, decussatim im- 

 bricatis, ovalibus, crassiusculis, margine membranaceis, peri- 

 gonio subsequilongis ; antheris ssepius 3, interdum 4-5, sessi- 

 libus, oblongis, vix exsertis : spicellis fructiferis similibus, 

 sed 2-plo majoribus, brevissime pedicellatis ; involucellis ma- 

 joribus et paulo crassioribus, pallidis, coriaceis, anguste mar- 

 ginatis ; acheniis 2, navicularibus, pallide opacis, oblongis, 

 gradatim angustioribus, apice obtuso perforatis, tubillo ex- 

 serto, irregulariter lacerato. — In Provinciis Argentinis, v. v. 

 Coro Corto (Prov. Mendosa) et Travesia de Mendosa, d" et $ 

 (mihi lecta, anno 1826) ; v. s. in herb. Hooker., Travesia de 

 Mendosa (sub E. Mendocensis) et in Pampas (sub titulo E. 

 australis) (GiUies); Patagones (Carmen, Rio Negro) in Prov. 

 Buenos Ayres, c?et$ (Tweedie). 



This species appears to have a wide range over the extent of 

 the Pampas, in localities which are more or less saline. It has 

 a branching ligneous root, from which numerous slender stem- 

 lets ascend, which throw off other occasional branchlets at the 

 nodes, forming a shrub 1 or 2 feet in height, with somewhat 



