ST. HELENA 331 



vernacular name. Is a native of the barren rocks near the 

 sea, and not far from Sandy Bay, on the south side of the island, 

 I saw it in two gardens only, where it had in many years grown 

 to the height of only three feet, with many longer branches 

 spreading flat on the ground, well decorated with abundance 

 of foliage and large beautiful flowers. Bark of the old ligneous 

 parts rather rough and of a dark olive-coloured colour. 

 Of the young shoots, hoary with stellate pubescence, each starlet 

 thereof has a ferruginous centre. Petioles under-side of the 

 leaves, peduncles, branches and calyx have the same colouring. 

 The leaves are greatly smaller than in D. Erythroxylon, but 

 more entire ; stipules subulate. Peduncles, length of the 

 leaves, 1-2 flowered. Flowers large campanulate ; when 

 they first expand white, becoming pink or rosy by age, Bractes 

 turn ovate, lanceolate pressing the base of the calyx. Stamina 

 five, shorter than the five dark purple clavate nectarial fila- 

 ments. In some parts on the south side of the island near 

 the sea numbers of the dry trunks were found in former days, 

 now few remain, the greater part having been carried away 

 for fuel ; these little trunks are but a few feet in length, gener- 

 ally very crooked, and run from one to tliree or four feet in 

 circumference near the root ; those parts of the root and 

 branches which remain spread nearly horizontal : the exterior 

 surface is pretty even, and of a dark lead colour, having been 

 exposed to the weather for probably some hundred years ; 

 within, it is nearly as black as common ebony, and as close- 

 grained, hard and heavy ; in short, it is so very like ebony 

 as to have procured it that name from the islanders. The 

 few trees now found alive in their native soil and situation 

 are from ten to fifteen feet high, their trunks crooked and 

 about as thick as a man's thigh ; the branches very numerous, 

 spreading, etc., etc., and at this season, when the young foUage 

 is expanding, the flower buds are also to be seen, and in this 

 state generally two on each peduncle ; whereas in the cultivated 

 plants rarely more than one. 



E. Eleusine covacdna. R. Cynosurus corocanus. Linn. 



E. Eleusine indica. Gaert. Cynosurus. Linn. 



E. Eleusine calycina. R. 



E. Er odium sempervivum. R. Pelargonium Colyledonis. Willd, 

 3-74. Shrubby, succulent, and extremely tortuous, umbels 

 long-peduncled, decompound. Leaves subcordate, downy, 

 rugose, some lobate-crenate, some peltate. A native of the 

 barren rocky precipices on the south side of the island, and 

 known by the name, " Old father live for ever." It grows 

 to be a large spreading shrub, with innumerable, thick, suc- 

 culent, extremely crooked branches, the apices obtuse, and 

 thence both leaves and umbels spring. Bark thick and fleshy, 

 the surface dark brown and peels off in small fragments. 

 Leaves long, petioled, and soft with down. Stipules small, 

 triangular and acute. Peduncles terminal, generally single. 



