Mr. J. Miers on the genus Saracha. 445 



adnate with the dissepiment, but in Brachistus the placentse are 

 thin, membranaceous, and branching at right angles from the 

 axile Une of the dissepiment into the cavity of the cell, when they 

 are free, furcated and ovuligerous. In Saracha and in Physalis the 

 embryo is semicyclical, the radicle being double the length of the 

 cotyledons ; in Capsicum it is quite spiral and somewhat helical, 

 the cotyledons being equal in length to the radicle ; but the latter 

 describes only a half-circuit of much larger radius, while the 

 former makes fully a complete gyration of smaller diameter. In 

 Witheringia the embryo is subannular, forming nearly |ths of a 

 circle by no means spiral, and the cotyledons are only ^th of its 

 whole length. The following I conceive to be the limits of this 

 genus : — 



Saracha, R. & P., char, emend. — Calyx brevis, submembra- 

 naceus, 5-angulatus, 5-dentatus, 5-nervosus, dentibus acutis 

 brevibus, persistens. Corolla rotata, limbo sinuato, 5-angu- 

 lato, scepissime 15-nervio, lobis s. angulis reflexis, sestivatione 

 valde induplicato-valvata. Stamina 5, tubo corollse prope mar- 

 ginem basalem affixa, ejusdem longitudine ; filamenta filiformia, 

 erecta, basi triangulariter dilatata ; anthera approximatse, ob- 

 longse aut subrotundse, basifixse, S-lobse, lobis arete connatis 

 et longitudinaliter antice dehiscentibus. Ovarium ovatum, 

 2-loculare, placentis incrassatis septo adnatis, multiovulatis. 

 Stylus simplex, longitudine staminum. Stigma capitato-bilo- 

 bum. Bacca globosa, calyce membranaceo parum aucto suf- 

 fulta. Semina plurima, in pulpam nidulantia, parva, reni- 

 formia : testa scrobiculata, hilo in sinu laterali : embryo intra 

 albumen carnosum semicyclicus, teres, cotyledonibus uncinatis 

 semiteretibus, radicula paulo inflexa infera hilo evitante di- 

 midio brevioribus. — Herbse America intertropica plerumque 

 perennes, procumbentes, dichotome ramosa, pilosa ; folia alterna 

 vel gemina, Integra, aut sinuato-dentata ; inflorescentia umbel- 

 lata, pedunculo 2-6-florOj axillari vel e dichotomiis scepius orto. 



The following recorded species from the characters described 

 appear to belong to this genus: — 



1. Saracha procumbens, R. & P. Flor. Per. 2. 43. tab. 180 b. 



2. umbellata, DC. Jacq. Hort. Schoen. tab. 493. 



3. contorta, R. & P. L c. tab. 180 a *. 



4. — jaltbmata, Schl. Linn. 13. Litt. 98 ; Linn. 19. 307. 



5. Zuccagniana, R. & Sch. Syst. 4. 687. 



6. villosa, G. Don, R. & Sch. Syst. 4. 684. 



7. dentata, R. & P. /. c. 2. 43. tab. 179 6. 



8. biflora, R. & P. /. c. 2. 42. tab. 179 «. 



* Mathews, no. 3248. 



