286 
lateral filiform fibres. Stem single, erect, 
cylindrical, slender, branched from nearly 
its base to the summit. Branches alter- 
nate or opposed, axillary, cylindrical, more 
or less diverging, very slender and approx- 
imate, numerous, elongate, irregularly ra- 
muliferous; their assemblage forming a 
ufted pyramidal or nearly fastigiate pani- 
cle. amules paniculate or simply bifur- 
cate, filiform, the divisions all floriferous. 
Leaves scattered or opposite, destitute of 
stipules, entire, linear, acute at both extre- 
mities, thin, one-nerved, not veined, gla- 
brous when adult, except on the margins, 
rather numerous on the branches of the 
stem, but less copious on the ramules ; the 
cauline and greater rameal four to six lines 
long, one-fourth to one-half a line broad ; 
the ramular nearly filiform, scarcely more 
than two lines long; the uppermost floral 
reduced to very minute bracteoles; petiole 
very short and narrow. Flowers about 
half a line long, disposed along the divi- 
sions of the ramules, in simple or bifurcate 
unilateral, erect, lax, rather bracteolated 
than foliose racemes, which reach finally 
the length of about an inch. Pedicels su- 
pra-axillary, rather capillary, straight; the 
floriferons strictly erect, the fructiferons 
somewhat diverging, and one-half to three 
fourths of a line long. Calyz persistent, 
accrescent, deeply five-parted, somewhat 
contracted at its base, greyish, with short 
appressed rough hairs; sepals distinctly 
two-seriate ; the two exterior never imbri- 
cated, very narrow, flat, erect, linear, acute 
at both extremities; three interior imbri- 
cated (but never twisted) before and after 
flowering, somewhat shorter, but much 
broader than the exterior, navicular with a 
slightly prominent dorsal keel, elliptic, mu- 
cronate, one-nerved, one of the edges ra- 
Recep- 
tacle forming a short stipitiform thecapho- 
rum. Disk inconspicuous, Petals three, 
inserted at the base of the thecaphorum, 
alternate with and by one-half shorter than 
the interior sepals, persistent, somewhat 
accrescent, narrow, exunguiculate, oblong, 
emarginate. Stamens three (rarely four), 
DESCRIPTION OF SOME NEW CISTACEX. 
inserted at the summit of the thecapho. — 
rum, opposite the petals, and a little shorter - 
than these, persistent ; filaments capillary, — 
free; anthers very minute, basifixed, in- — 
nate, obreniform, dithecous, connectivum 
as narrow as the filament. Pisti A 
than the stamens. Ovary of the size of a d 
poppy-seed, inadherent, incompletely three- 
locular; dissepiments projecting nearly to — 
the centre of the cavity, fixed along the — 
centre of its projecting face to the anterior 
edge of the corresponding dissepiment,and 
having its sides curved towards the peri — 
phery; ovules orthotropous, arrect, basi- 
fixed, oblong, collateral, attached by a 
short filiform ascendent funicle to the base 
of the posterior face of the placentas, one — 
on each side of the dissepiment. Style 
deciduous, very short, filiform, erect, rec- i 
tilinear. Stigmas three, multipartite, seg- —— 
ments capillaceous. Capsule Es 
size of a cabbage-seed, enveloped by the - 
three interior sepals, and somewhat shorter, — 
cartilaginous, thin, le-brown, smooth : 
and shining, obscurely pellucid, globular, 
obtuse, slightly trigonal, incomplete : 
three-celled, by abortion three-seeded, i 
three-valved from the summit to the bud ; 
supported on a short stipes, from which i : 
breaks off soon after the dehiscence ; ips zi 
a little shorter than the interior sepals, and : 
placed opposite these, connivent, persistent 1 
navicular, bearing along their axis à car — 
laginous dissepiment, which separates d FR 
the corresponding placenta some time 9% 
fore maturity; endocarp not se 
from the mesocarp ; placentas e 
central, persistent, almost as long ©” 
broad as s valves, very thin, es 
fragile, roundish, each of them a í 
single seed, by the side of which the abot 
tive ovule is still remaining. Seeds Mos 
what smaller than in Zechea Drum : 
but altogether of the same pipes 4 
This species was found by Mr. 4 
: : 3rd colle — 
mond, in the Province of Texas, ( Webb) 
tion, No.18.)—(v. s. sp. in Herb. C mem 
LECHIDIUM. (nob.) : 
i scens, E 
Cay = SS in suburceolatiss Mf 3g 
5-partitus, supra basin suburcet m. 
pala 2-seriata: 2 exteriora mim P^ 3 
about the —— 
