430 Mr. J. Miers on the Genus Cortesia. 



long, 5 lines broad across the three lobes, 2 lines broad imme- 

 diately below them, thence tapering to the base ; they are 

 scabrid beneath, with large conical white crystalline tubercles, 

 that bear on their apex a short rigid hair ; the solitary flowers 

 are axillary, on a pedicel 3 lines long ; the tube of the calyx 

 (3 lines long) has from twelve to fifteen erect terete teeth, 

 |— 1 line long, connected at their base by a short plicated 

 membrane : the five appendices form a simple whorl round the 

 base of the corolla ; one or two of them are spathulate upon 

 an elongated slender claw 2-3 lines long and | line broad at 

 the apex j the others are sessile, setiform, 1 line long, all seri- 

 ceously pilose outside, smooth inside ; the tube of the corolla 

 is 3 J lines long, the lobes of the border are 1 j line long, 1 line 

 broad ; the filaments, fixed just within the mouth, are 2 lines 

 long ; the lower part of the style is 3 lines long, its branches 

 2 lines long ; the drupe is ovoid, with a thin coriaceous cover- 

 ing having a saline taste, is 6 lines long, 5 lines broad, half- 

 enclosed within the cupular cup of the persistent calyx ; the two 

 plano-convex nucules are 4 lines long, 3 lines broad, hard and 

 osseous, each with two distinct cells with foraminal aper- 

 tures as above described, each cell containing a suspended seed 

 covered by its colourless integuments ; the embryo, enveloped 

 in an extremely thin albumen, has two (sometimes three) 

 equal cotyledons, which are three times the length of the 

 conical superior radicle*. 



2. Cortesia microjyJii/Uaj n. sp. ; — suffruticosa, humilis, e basi 

 ramosa, ramis imo toruloso-tortuosis, ramulosis, ramulis 

 brevibus, subflexuosis, angulatis, divaricatis, glabris ; foliis 

 minoribus, sessilibus, imo anguste spathulatis, canaliculatis, 

 apice dilatatis et 3-dentatis, dentibus acutis, mediano re- 

 curvo, lateralibus arrectis, apicibus tuberculo setifero spinu- 

 losis, supra subglabris, subtus tuberculis crystallinis setigeris 

 exasperatis, carnosulis, enerviis, horizontaliter patentibus ; 

 floribus e ramulis novellis axillaribus 2-4-foliolosis solitariis 

 et semper terminalibus ; calyce hispido-pubescente, intus 

 densissime sericeo, ore dentibus 10, acutis, intus planis, extus 

 carinatis, mucronatis, alternis paulo brevioribus ; appendi- 

 culis 10, breviuscuhs, setiformibus, villosis, in verticillo 

 corollse basin cingentibus ; corolla membranacea, glabra, 

 tubo cylindrico, calycem aequante, lobis oblongis, rotundatis, 

 suberectis, staminibus medio tubi affixis, paulo exsertis ; 

 stylo his longiore, ramis recurvis ; drupa subglobosa, calyce 

 ampliato lateraliter fisso semivestita. — Circa Mendozam, in 

 desertam salitrosam : v. v. 

 * A drawing of this species, with analytical figures, will be given in 



the second volume of the ' Contributions/ Plate 83 b. 



