67 

 A NEW GENUS FROM MISSOURI 



By Kenneth K. Mackenzie 



It is a novel experience to receive a specimen from the range 

 covered by the Illustrated Flora and by Gray's Manual which 

 cannot be readily referred to well known genera. Not only has 

 Mr. E. J. Palmer succeeded in discovering such a plant in south- 

 western Missouri, but he has found a plant the family position of 

 which may be open to question. I have not been able to find 

 anything at all like the plant found by him, and therefore propose 

 it as the type of a new genus : 



Geocaipon gen. nov. 



A low glabrous winter-annual branching from the base. 

 Leaves opposite, equal or nearly so, entire, sessile ^nd connate at 

 base, without stipules, scarcely succulent. Flowers sessile in the 

 axils, one at each node, alternating with the flowers above and 

 below. Calyx free, somewhat turbinate, the lower third or half 

 united into a tube, the segments five, erect, not carinate, un- 

 appendaged, ov^ate, acutish, green with minute white margin, 

 not petaloid, 3-nerved, each lateral nerve united below cleft of 

 calyx with lateral nerve of next sepal. Corolla absent. Stamens 

 five, alternate with calyx lobes, inserted on tube of calyx, the 

 filaments white, somewhat flattened, slender, barely i mm. long, 

 not reaching above calyx, the anthers minute, short oblong, 

 bilocular. Capsule ovoid, i-celled with central placentae, 30-50 

 ovuled, dehiscent by three valves, the sharp tips slightly exceed- 

 ing the stigmas. Style none. Stigmas three, stigmatose along 

 inner surface, alternating with tips of capsule. Seeds minute, 

 smoothish, estrophiolate, the slender, straight, ascending funiculi 

 remaining attached to the five central placentae. 



G. minimum sp. nov. Branches 1-4 cm. long; leaves of 

 branches linear-elliptic to ovate, cucullate, 3-4 mm. long, 1-2 

 mm. wide, the basal linear, flat, 4-6 mm. long; calyx 4-5 mm. 

 ong, slightly exceeding capsule. 



Type collected by E. J. Palmer (No. 3921) in sandy barrens 



