1817.] GENUS COLLINSIA. 191 



leaves verticillated in thr'ees, fives, or sixes, ovate-lanceo- 

 late or linear- lanceolate acute and mostly entire, diminish- 

 ing upwards to the size of mere bractes. Peduncles 

 1-flowered, axillary, commencing usually to appear with 

 the third pair of leaves, filiform, nearly erect and somewhat 

 pubescent, about an inch in length. Calyx subcampanu- 

 late, cleft more than half way down and membranaceous 

 at the base; segments greenish, semi-lanceolate, acute, the 

 two lower laciniae horizontally divergent. Corolla nearly 

 in the form of a violet, bilabiate, closed; upper lip white, 

 spirally reflected^ bilobate with a small, prominent arched 

 palate of a yellow colour spotted with saffi-on; all the 

 lobes of the flower obovate and emarginate; lower lip trifid, 

 bright azure blue, lateral segments horizontally deflected, 

 coalescing with the central lobe, which appears in the form 

 of a closed carinated sacculum including the stamina and 

 style, and rarely opening except for an instant when irri- 

 tated apparently by heat, as with many of the Hedysarums; 

 tube of the corolla short and gibbously curved, forming 

 with the sacculum an oblong canal. Stamina didyna- 

 mous, all arising from the lower lip; anthers yellow, hori- 

 zontal: the rudiment of a fifth stamen at the base of the 

 corolla tube. Style long and capillary; stigma scarcely 

 any. Germ 4-seeded. Capsule round, acute, shorter 

 than the persistent calyx by which it is inclosed; partly 

 1 -celled, and 4-valved, by abortion 2 and 3- seeded; valves 

 opening rather more than halfway down, w^here undivided, 

 uniting w^ith the small and imperfect receptacular dissepi- 

 ment; only about a third part of the capsule is divided by 

 a partition. Seed brownish, oval, or elliptic, convex on 

 the outer side, inner side umbilicately perforated; exter- 

 nally a little rugose and reticulately punctured; (about the 



