104 ON SOUTH-AMEEICAK APOCTNACE^. 



tube, having a pilose ring in its mouth ; segments lanceolate, with dextrorse convolution, 

 reddish, almost glabrous, obsoletely pubescent on the median nerve ; stamens exserted. 



Gardner's specimen agrees with the characters given by De Candolle and MtLUer. 

 Casasetto's plant probably belongs elsewhere, as it appears to be a twining species. 



27. Thtrsanthus ruftjs, nob. : Forsteronia rufa, Miill. I. c. p. 100, tab. 31. In Brasilia: v. v. et sice. 



in herb, meo (n. 4039) ex montibus Organensibus ; v. s. in herb. Mws. Brit, ex eodem loco (Gardner 

 530), in herb, meo (n. 2411) sine loco (Ackermann) . 



I collected this species in company with Gardner in January 1838. It is tolerably 

 well figured by Miiller (L c). The branches and branchlets are ferruginously tomen- 

 tous, with axils 1-lJ in. apart ; the leaves are oblong-ovate, obtuse and rounded at the 

 base, constricted near the summit into a short subacute acumen, chartaceous, entire, 

 green and opake above, with many divaricately ascending nerves arcuately conjoined, 

 puberulous on the midrib, paler beneath, pubescent, with yellow prominulent nerves, 

 3^3f in. long, l^-lf in. broad, on pubescent petioles 3^4 lines long; the panicles, 

 nearly erect, are opposite in the axUs, or geminate at the ends of the branches, sub- 

 pyramidal, 5 J in. long, branching from near the base at intervals of about | in., closer 

 gradually upwards, lower branches 1 in. long, bare and bracteolated at the base, again 

 and again divided, aU furnished with narrow acute bracteoles 4 lines long ; flowers in 

 each branch numerous, subcongested, on pedicels 2 lines long ; sepals acute, externally 

 pubescent, IJ line long, with few inner bifid scales ; corolla 4^ lines long, its tube cylin- 

 drical, 1 J line long ; segments acutely oblong, reddish, membranaceous, slightly puberu- 

 lous inside, with dextrorse convolution, 3 lines long ; stamens exserted ; filaments short, 

 membranaceous ; anthers 2 lines long, linear, membranaceous at the apex, with 2 obtuse 

 basal prongs; disk 5-lobed, as long as the 2 pilose ovaries; style very short, with a 

 thickened clavuncle as usual. The fruit is unknown. 



Miiller ascribes to this species 2 follicles more than a foot long, strangulated at remote 

 intervals into 5 or 6 seminiferous lobes containing several seeds with a long apical 

 coma ; but these belong to his Forsteronia montana, a plant also from the Organ Moun- 

 tains, which he confounded with it, and which has a very similar habit and inflorescence. 

 This latter plant is fully described in a subsequent page, under that name. 



28. Thyrsanthus sbssilis, nob. : Echites sessilis,Ye\\. M. Flum. p. Ill; Icon. iii. tab. 35; A. DC. 

 I. c. p. 476 : Tabernmmontana sessilis, Veil. I. c. p. 106 : Malouetia sessilis, Miill. I. c. p. 96. In 

 Brasilia : v. s. in herb. Mus. Brit, sine loco (Claussen). 



The two plants recorded by VeUoz under the same specific name are evidently iden- 

 tical ; and Claussen' s specimens agree well with them. The floral characters are not those 

 of Malouetia, but they accord in all respects with ThyrscmtJim. VeUoz found one of the 

 plants at Cairuru, near Paraty, in the province of Rio de Janeiro, the other near 

 Itagoahy, in the same province. It is a scandent species, with dichotomous, flexuous, 

 verruculously lenticeUate, lactescent branches, the axils being 1-4 in. apart ; the leaves 

 are elliptic oblong, roundish at the base, and suddenly constricted upon the petiole, 

 shortly acuminate, patently recurved, thinly chartaceoUs, very glabrous, obscure green 



