900 DICOTYLEDONELE. SECHIUM. 
ovatus, complanatus, lenticularis, coriaceus, lævis, indehiscens, mo- 
nospermus. Semen loculo conforme, testa crustacea levi. 
Herba Texana annua, scandens vel prostrata. Folia cordato-rotun- 
data, subintegra. Cirrhi bifidi. Flores minuti, albi, racemis ssepe an- 
drogynis ; masculi gracillime pedicellati, interdum fasciculati; feminei 
late bracteati. Fructus minutus. 
S. gracile, A. Gray! l. c.; Naud. l. e. p. 163; Walp. Ann. 4, 
p. 867. | 
Caulis gracilis, ramosissimus, dense foliosus, striatus, sparse pilo- 
sus, lzevis vel scaberulus, sesqui-bimetralis. Petiolus robustiusculus, 
striatus, sparse hirtellus, 4-8 cent. longus. Folia membranacea, 
utrinque leete viridia, sparse piloso-scabra, basi profunde angusteque 
emarginata, angulata vel sublobata, margine minutissime remoteque 
subulato-denticulata, 3-5 cent. longa, 4-6 cent. lata ; lobi late rotun- 
dati, obtusi, terminalis major, ssepius mucronulatus ; nervi vix promi- 
nentes, duo laterales basilares bifureati, imum sinum non margi- 
nantes. Cirrhi gracillimi, breves, sparse pilosi, inferne sulcati. Inflo- 
rescentia mascula multiflora, '/,-1*/, cent. longa; pedunculus com- 
munis filiformis, longe villosus; pedicelli eapillares, sparse pilosi vel 
subglabri, 2-3 mill. longi. Calyx glaber, vix 1 mill. latus; dentes su- 
bulati, */,-*/, mill. longi. Corollæ segmenta ovato-triangularia, triner- 
via, utrinque sparse breviterque villoso-papillosa præcipue ad apicem, 
'/, mill. longa; lobi terminales angusti, divaricati, !/,,-'/; mill. longi. 
Inflorescenti: femineæ ex iisdem axillis orientes quibus masculæ, mox 
in ramulos androgynos elongatæ; floribus primariis breviter peduncu- 
latis nudis, secundariis subsessilibus, bracteola foliacea tripartita 
sessili sensimque crescente inclusis. Ovarium leviter pubescens, 1-1 1i 
mill. longum. Bracteola fructifera pubescens, pallida, segmentis cre 
natis, reticulato-nervosis, 4-6 mill. longis, terminali oblongo-lanceo- 
lato, acuto, 1-2 mill. lato, lateralibus late ovatis, obtusis, 3-7 mill. 
latis. Fructus sordide fuscus vel nigricans, caducis, 3 "/,-4 mill. longus. 
2*/, mill. latus, 2 mill. crassus. 
In Neo-Mexico ad Sonora (Wright n. 1092 in herb. Boiss., Mus. 
Par., Kew.); in Texas (Hance n. 4393 in herb. hort. Petrop.). 
LXVII. SECHIUM, P. Browne Hist. Jam. p. 355 ; Juss. Gen. p- 391; 
Sw. Fl. Ind. occ. 2, p. 1150; Willd. Spec. 4, p. 627; Poir. in Lam. 
Encycl. méth. Bot. 1, p. 50 et in Dict. sc. nat. 48, p. 293; Ser. in 
DC. Prodr. 3, p. 313; Spach, Vég. phan. 6, p. 228; Schrad. in 
