52 Plants Collected in Paraguay. 



BIXINE^. 

 Myroxylon Salzmaimi (Clos.), Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PL, 44. Ex descr. 



Asuncion (235 and 718). December. Pilcomayo River (1585). 

 January-May. 



An interesting dioecious shrub common about Asuncion, 1|— 3 m. 

 in height, armed with sharp spines. Leaves coriaceous, round or 

 oval, often cuneate, serrate, with 2 glands on the petiole at the 

 base of the blade. Flowers small, white, apetalous, in clusters, the 

 staminate with 4 or 5 ciliate, ovate sepals, the peduncles and pedi- 

 cels subtended by several ciliate bracts ; stamens numerous, the fila- 

 ments long, yellow, much exserted, and the anthers small, round, 

 yellow, 2-celled, opening by slits above. Pistillate flower on an 

 articulated pedicel, with 5 round, ciliate sepals which are persistent 

 on the fruit. The fruit, about as large as a huckleberry, is blackish- 

 purple when ripe. In fact, I thought it was a huckleberry when I 

 found it. Berries very numerous, rather insipid in taste. 



The spines are generally at the base of the leaves, and seem to 

 take the place of stipules. The staminate and pistillate plants often 

 far apart. 



POLYGALE^. 

 Poly gala Aregliensis, A. W. Bennett, Jour. Bot., 17, p. 201. 



Pilcomayo River (944). = Balansa, 2187, Herb. Kew. Named 

 by A. W, Bennett. 



' An interesting purple-flowered species ; growing on the open 

 campo among grass. Some of the stalks are 50 cm. in height, and 

 often twisted, several rising from the same root, frequently branched. 

 Leaves in whorls of 5, sessile, minutely serrulate. The racemes 

 are from 4 to 12 cm. long. The pod contains 2 light brown, hairy 

 seeds, each with 2 flat, white caruncles one-half as long as the seeds. 

 February. 



Polygala galioides, Poir., var. asperuloides (H. B. K.), Britton. 



Polygala asperuloides, H. B. K., Nov. Gen., v, 403. 



P. galioides, var. major, A. W. Bennett, Mart. Fl. Bras., Fasc. Ixiii, 29. 



Near Luque (325). December. 

 Polygala glocliidata, H. B. K., Nov. Gen., v, 400. 



A diminutive plant nearly hidden by the grasses on the Gran 

 Campo, 8-10 cm. high. Flowers minute, white, on pedicels about 



