Mr. J. Miers on the genus Nectouxia. 137 



valdc ramosus, foliis inferioribus obovatis, acutis, imo rotun- 

 datis, obsolete dentatis, utrinque fere glabris, venis subpilosis, 

 margineque ciliolatis, superioribus lanceolatis, petiolo canali- 

 culato sparse pubescente. — Mexico (Papantla, Schiede). 



This plant appears to have very much the habit of a Physalis ; 

 its lower leaves are 4 inches long, 2 \ inches broad, on a petiole 

 of | to | inch ; the upper leaves are Z\ inches long, 10 lines broad, 

 on a petiole of half an inch ; the peduncles are 1 line long ; the 

 calyx 1 line, and the corolla 2 to 2^ lines in diameter ; the calyx 

 increases to the size of half an inch, is globular in form, reticu- 

 late, and incloses a berry of 3 lines in diameter. 



Nectouxia. 



This genus appears to have been little known hitherto except 

 from the details given by Prof. Kunth (Nov. Gen. iii. p. 10), 

 where a figure of Nectouxia formosa is given in plate 193 of that 

 work. On comparing a specimen of this genus in the herbarium 

 of Sir Wm. Hooker, I am led to conclude it to be a second spe- 

 cies, as I can hardly imagine that so accurate an observer could 

 have been mistaken. In this species the difference lies in the 

 calycine segments being much narrower, in the greater length of 

 the corolla, in the segments of the border being narrower, in the 

 lower insertion of the stamens, in the longer and more linear 

 anthers, and more especially in the singular expansion of the 

 upper portion of the filament, and finally in the exsertion of the 

 style. Kunth describes his plant as being herbaceous and not 

 higher than 8 inches, whereas this appears to be a much taller 

 plant. Nectouxia evidently approaches very closely to the 

 genus Salpichroma, and were it not for the remarkable peculiarity 

 of the prominent corona in the mouth of the corolla, it could 

 hardly be distinguished from that genus. Like Salpichroma it 

 possesses the character of its flowers becoming black in drying : 

 the expansion of its filament is also another distinguishing fea- 

 ture. I have not been able to examine its perfect fruit, but it is 

 evidently a berry : the form and structure of its ovarium quite 

 correspond with that of Salpichroma. The following is its 

 amended character : — 



Nectouxia. Char, emend. — Calyx 5-partitus, laciniis sequa- 

 libus, erectis, linearibus, acutis, persistens. Corolla hypocra- 

 teriformi-tubulosa, tubo 5-nervi, 5-angulato, superne paulo 

 ampliato, calyce 2-plo longiore, limbo patente, 5-partito, laci- 

 niis sequalibus, oblongis, acuminato-obtusiusculis, sestivatione 

 induplicato-valvatis, fauce in coronam brevem urceolatam ex- 

 sertam 10-nervem 10-dentatam producta. Stamina 5, inclusa, 

 a?qualia: filamenta brevia, supra tubi medium inserta, com- 



