238 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



fertile ; peripheric sterile or hermaphrodite few pedicellate.^ [Troi^. 

 Brazil.') 



79. Laretia GiLL.^ — Flowersnearly of ^-^o?-e/k; sepals B-angular, 

 persistent. Petals entire, imbricate. Styles long slender, at base 

 dilated to conical stjlopods. Fruit subovoid, dorsally compressed and 

 much constricted at commissure, whence 2-scutate ; mericarps at back 

 plano-concave, cuneate within ; carpophore simple. Primary ridges 

 filiform ; dorsal intermediate at back ; lateral bordering mericarps ; 

 intrajugal vittae thin. Seed flat at back. — A low dense csespitose herb ; * 

 stem perennial thick very short ; leaves alternate rosulate entire rather 

 rigid, at base dilated to sheath; umbels simple; bracts foliaceous 

 scarious sublanceolate ; pedicels articulate under flower. (Chili.^) 



80. Mulinum Peks.^ — Flowers (nearly of Laretia) polygamous ; 

 sepals expanded acute. Fruit much compressed at very narrow 

 commissure, 2-scutate, transversely cruciate ; mericarps at back 

 angulately concave, aliform at margins; carpophore simple or 0. 

 Primary ridges very thin ; dorsal in cavity of mericarp ; intermediate 

 at margin; lateral on face and distant from commissure; intrajugal 

 vittge thin. Seed compressed or depressed at back, at face flat or 

 rather convex. — Caespitose-ramose undershrubs ; leaves rigid sharp, 

 3-5-fid or 3-5-sect ; petiole sometimes dilated to scarious -ciliate 

 sheath ; umbels simple ; involucral bracts short free or connate at 

 base. (And. and Arct. America.'^) 



81. Hermas L.^ — Flowers^ monoecious or polygamous; sepals 

 expanded ovate or lanceolate, often petaloid, imbricate, persistent. 

 Petals 5, filamentary, inflexed. Stamens 5; filaments alternating with 

 and similar to petals ; anthers short exserted. Styles slender straight, 

 obtuse at apex, dilated at base to short conical stylopods. Fruit (of 



1 A genus closely allied to Azorella and Mi- Gen. n. 4369.— B. H. Gen. 877, n. 15. 



cr pleura. 7 Spec. 3, 4. Cay. Icon. v. t. 486, fig. 1, 2; 



- Spec. 1 (or 2 ?). Walp. Eep. v. 844. 487, fig. 1 {Selinum).— Rook. Bot. Misc. i. t. 64. 



3 Ex Hook, and Arn. Bot. Misc. i. 329, t. 65. — Clos, C. Gay Fl. CMl. iii. 88.— Phil. Fl. 



— Endl. Gen. n. 4371.— B. H. Gen. 875, n. 8. Atam. 24.— Wedd. Chlor. Andina, ii. 199, t. 



* Habit of Azorella. 70, B.— Walp. Rep. ii. 386 ; Ann. i. 978. 



s Spec. 1. L.acaulisB.ooK.—C. Gay, Fl. Chil. 8 Qen. n. 1332.— L. f. Supiil 435.— Thunb. 



iii. 106.— Wedd. Chlor. Andina, ii. 199, t. 70, A. Nov. Acta Acad. Pet. xiv. 531, t. 11, 12.— G^ertn. 



—Walp. Rep. ii. ZS7.— Selinum acaule Cay. Fruct. ii. 30, t. 85.— Lamk, Bid. iii. 121; III. t. 



Icon.m, t. 487, fig. I.—Midinum acaule Pers.— 851.— Lag. Anioen. ii. 102.— DC. Prodr. iv. 241. 



DC. Prodr. iv. 80, n. 5. —Endl. Gen. n. 4530.— B. H. Gen. 878, n. 



^ Enchir.i. 309 (part). — TiAG. Amoen. ii. 94. 16. 



—DC. Mem. 32 ; Prodr. iv. 79 (part}.— Endl. ^ White or dark purple. 



