422 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES 



Suborder II. LABIATIFLORJS. (Decand.) 



Tribe YI. MUTISIACEM (Less.) 



Subtribe ii. Lerie^;. (Less.) 



*CURSONIA. 



Capitulum beterogamous, radiate ; liguli flat, witb rudiments of stamina, trifid 

 at the apex, externally tomentose, inner lip obsolete, or none. Discal florets 

 hermaphrodite, tubular, five-toothed, ringent, two of the dentures larger. An- 

 thers in the discal florets caudate, the apex appendiculate. Stigma clavate, 

 undivided, the branches adnate, that of the ray exserted and clavate. Invo- 

 lucrum hemispherical, loosely imbricated, the segments linear-lanceolate, 

 setosely acuminate, and rather rigid. Achenium subcylindric-conic, some- 

 what sericeous. Pappus bristly and scabrous, in several series, and very 

 unequal, five central bristles much larger and longer. — A small herbaceous 

 plant of Peru, with alternate, lanceolate, denticulate leaves, tomentose be- 

 neath. Pedicels elongated, terminal. Capitulum somev^^hat loosely tomen- 

 tose. Florets apparently dark red or purple. 



Cursonia * Peruviana. 



With the aspect of a Chaptalia, to which genus it is allied. Leaves approx- 

 imating towards the summit of the branch, about an inch long, and less than 

 half an inch v^^ide, lanceolate, acute, attenuated below into a winged petiole, or 

 properly sessile, repandly denticulate and acute, beneath somewhat whitely 

 tomentose, above slenderly arachnoid; pedicels nearly naked, two to two and a 

 half inches long, with one or two subulate bractes. Sepals about two series, 

 linear-lanceolate, arachnoidly tomentose, nearly all of equal height, acuminated 

 with long, bristly, rather rigid points. Rays few, about a single series, as long 

 as the involucrum, flat, linear and trifid at the apex, of a very dark purple, 

 almost black. Pappus a little shorter than the florets. Discal florets also dark 

 purple; caudal processes of the anthers long and very slender, simple. Recep- 

 tacle apparently naked. — (Collected in the mountains of Peru by Mr. Curson, 

 with many other interesting plants, after whom this genus is deservedly named.) 



