118 ON SOTJTH-AMEEICAN APOCTNACE^. 



long, 3 lines broad at the base, 1 Kne broad beyond the middle; the glands in the 

 throat are ^ hue long ; the stamens, 4 lines long, are seated 1 line above the base of 

 the tube; the lobes of the disk and ovaries are 1^ line long, the style and stigmata 

 2 lines long ; the follicles are 4 in. long, the pericarp subcoriaceous, pale within, with 

 many parallel nerves, impressed where the seeds make it somewhat torulose ; the seeds 

 are linear-oblong, rostrate, 7 lines long, densely covered on both sides by reddish long 

 hairs spreading in all directions, but without any apical coma. 



A drawing of this species (with an analysis of its flower, fruit and seeds) is given in 

 Plate XIV. B. 



Rhabdadenia. 



A very peculiar genus, established by Dr. Miiller in 1860, upon two Brazilian plants, 

 one collected by Pohl on the coasts of S. BrazU, the other the Echites biflora of 

 Jacquin, which he confounded with Echites paludosa, a distinct species, well described 

 and figured by Yahl. Dr. Grisebach regarded Rhabdadenia as identical with Laubertia 

 A. DC, a very distinct genus. The generic character is detailed in Prof. Muller's 

 monograph, and the typical species well analyzed in his plate 52. Its most peculiar 

 character Kes in the structure of the seed, which has no coma properly speaking, as in 

 the Echitea; ; but the apex of the testa is prolonged into a slender tubular rostrum two- 

 thirds of its length, and is further lengthened by long setaceous erecto-divergent fine 

 hairs, which spring from this rostrum everywhere, from the base to the apex, as in a 

 feather. This brings the genus near Robbia, which, though furnished with a brush of 

 long silky hairs issuing from below the apex, has no such rostrum. 



Other very distinctive characters reside in the habit of the plants, and in the very 

 peculiar kind of inflorescence. The branches are erect, and subscandent, sometimes 

 spirally twining ; the opposite leaves somewhat distant, not very large, often cordate at 

 the base, upon shortish petioles; the lateral axillary inflorescence has a long slender 

 peduncle, bearing on its apex 2 shortish pedicels, each supporting a single handsome 

 flower; sometimes this peduncle is 2-fid, each branch bearing 2 similar pedicellate 

 flowers ; and rarely one of the pedicels falls off, leaving a 3-flowered panicle ; rarely the 

 common peduncle has 2 or more short branches, each bearing geminate pedicellate 

 flowers : in all cases these branches or pedicels have no bracts, or, seldom, a few rudiments 

 of them *. The sepals are small, lanceolate or oblong, bearing within, at the base 

 of each, 2 or 3 acute scales. The corolla is contracted at the base to a narrow cyliir 

 drical tube, above which it is much more broadly cylindrical or funnel-shaped, with a 

 border of ovate dolabriform segments, simply convolute dextrorsely in sestivatior ; 

 stamens seated in the contraction of the tube, upon short filaments pilose behind ; ttie 

 corneous connectives of the anthers are shortly 2-lobed at the base, with a long pointed 

 apex, and pilose behind; disk of 5 erect, oblong, fleshy, free lobes, rounded or emar- 

 ginate at the apex, very shortly connate at the base; 2 free ovaries about their length ; 



* Dr. Miiller, in obscure terms, describes this peculiar kind of inflorescence, " sub-umbellato-contracta, oligantba, 

 vel laxius bostrycina." 



