104 MR. JOHN MIERS ON VERBENACE/E FROM 
juncea, Sch. in DC. Prodr. xi. 573; Gay, l. c. p. 30; Philippi, Linn. xxxiii. 196 : Dipy- 
rena dentata, Philippi, Linn. xxix. 22: suffruticosa, ramis elongatis, virgatis, teretibus, 
ramulisque oppositis, strictis, fistulosis, subadscendentibus, glabris, rarius in juniori- 
bus puberulis, axillis remotis, demum aphyllis; foliis in ramulis junioribus oppositis, 
parvis, lineari-oblongis vel obovatis, imo in petiolum brevem attenuatis, subcoriaceis, — 
imo integris, apice 3-dentatis vel grosse serratis, glabris vel rarius obsolete pube- 
rulis : spicis terminalibus; floribus laxis, sessilibus, bractea oblonga apice attenuata 
puberula suffultis; calyce tubuloso, bractea 2-plo longiore, inæqualiter subulato-5- 
dentato, utrinque pilosulo; corolla tubulosa, tubo subrecurvo, imo cylindraceo, 
superne ampliore, antice infra faucem subobliquam paulo ventricoso, parallele 
nervoso, glabro, limbo 5-lobo, lobis ovatis, integris, expansis; tubo intus antice 
retrorsus piloso; staminibus didynamis, cum quinto brevissimo (anthera effeta) inter 
anteriora paulo inferius sito; filamentis tenuibus, 2 posticis medio tubi affixis, 2 
anticis altius positis; antheris ovatis, inclusis; stylo apice incrassato, recurvo; 
ovario oblongo: drupa parva, ovata, calyce inclusa, structura generis.—In Cordil- 
leris Mendozinis et Chilensibus, v. v. ad Villa Vicencio : v. s. in hb. nost. et Hook. 
Cordill. Chile (Bridges, 460), Cordill. Maule (Germain, sub nom. Priva dentata, 
Phil); i» hb. Hook. Quillota (Germain), Cord. Chile (Macrae), Guardia (Gillies), 
Cord. Chile (Cuming, 225). 
I collected this plant in 1825, both in flower and in fruit, in the Cordillera of Men- 
dosa, in which region Gillies found it about the same time. The plants on the eastern 
side of the Cordillera are always a little puberulous on the younger branchlets, while 
those on the Chile side are quite glabrous. It forms a low suffruticose shrub, about 3 
or 4 feet high; the lower branches are lignescent, about the thickness of a quill; the 
upper branchlets are more slender, fistulous and subherbaceous ; the axils are 2 or 3 
inches apart ; the leaves are from 4 to 11 lines long, 3 or 4 lines broad, on a slender petiole 
15 line long, which is a little dilated at its insertion, where it is connected with a trans- 
verse line across the axil; the leaves on the floral branchlets are more linear, and about 
3 lines long. The terminal spikes are from 2 to 3 inches long, with numerous somewhat 
divergent flowers about a line apart; the bract is about 14 line long; the calyx is 2 lines 
long; the tube of the corolla 3-33 lines long, the lobes of the border 4 line long: the 
presence of a fifth sterile antheriferous stamen distinguishes this species from the others, 
but it is sometimes wanting; the style rarely extends beyond the mouth. The drupe is 
11-13 line long, ¿ line in diam., black and polished ; the nueules are dark-coloured, hard 
and corneous. The plant, though fuscous, does not always grow black in drying as 
in the following species; but its flowers become nigrescent. | 
2. DIOSTEA SCOPARIA, nob.: Verbena scoparia, Hook. et Gill. Bot. Misc. i. 161, tab. 4T; 
Sch. in DO. Prodr. xi. 544; Gay, Chile, y. 20: suffruticosa, tota nigrescens, e basi 
multiramosa, ramis ramulisque oppositis vel 4-nis, erectis, strictis, teretibus, striato- 
sulcatis, basi breviter articulatis, in axillis remotis linea transversali constrictis, 
glabris, fistulosis; foliis minimis, lineari-oblongis aut subovatis, subdenticulatis, 
glabris, petiolo brevissimo, basi dilatato, cum opposito fere nexo: inflorescentia 
