-GESNERUCE^. 459 



CXVi;. GESNERIACE^. 



Stamens inserted into the sympetalous, imbricativf, usually irregular corolla, didynamous 

 (or 2-5) ■. anthers mostly cohering. Ovaiy paracarpous ; placentae 2,. bilamellate, usually 

 many-ovulate. ■ JSmtryo cylindriotd (rarely with broad cotyledons) : albumen thin or none. 

 — Herbs or shrubs, often, epiphytical ; leaves simple, exstipulate, mually opposite (but al- 

 ternate in several West Indian genera) ; inflorescence centripetal. 



Tribe I. OESNERIE.^. — Embryo cylindrical, enclosed by Ulbumen. Calyx adnate to 



the ovary. 



1. GESNERIA, Mart. 



Calyx-Umi 5-partite. Corolla campanulate or tubular : limb "siprtly 2-lipped. Stigma 

 entire. Capsule half-superior, medianioide at the summit. — Leaves" opposite ; ilowers in 

 corymbs or racemes. 



1. G. corymbosa, Sw. 1 Shrabby, scabrous ; leaves ovate, pointed, obsoletely serrate, 

 shortly petioled ; corymbs axillary, long-peduncled : peduncles exceeding the leaves ; calyx- 



' lobes subulate, as long as their tube ; coroUa tubular, sdightly incurved, gradually eitlarged 

 from the middle, ' scabrous-pubescent, nearly devoid of basilar gibbosities ; hemiepigynic 

 glands connected into a ring.- — 1' high ; leaves 2", crimson corolla 8'", ellipsoidal capsule 

 3'" long. — Hab. Jamaica I, Sw., on limestone rocks of the southern districts. 



2. ISOLOMA, Decs. 



Calyx-limb 5-'pa,Ttite. Corolla-tube cla,va.te : Hmb short, subeq^ual. Stigma-2-&dL. Ovary 

 half-superior. — Sfoloniferous herbs j leaves opposite ; flowers axillary or racemose. 



Hansteiu has changed the name of this genus into Brachyloma, on account of the priority 

 atlsoloma, J. Sm., which however is a synonym or section al Mndsaa (Hook, sp. ffl.). 



2. I. lursutum, Iteg. Erect, villous ; leaves ovate, pointed, coarsely serrate, long- 

 petioled ; pedicels long, axillary ; calyx-lobes lanceolate-linear, much longer than their tube, 

 nearly half as long as the straight, villous, crimson corolla. — Kth. N. Gen. 2. t. 189. — Ges- 

 nera, ZKA.— 2'-4°high ; leaves 3"-4" (-6"), pedicels 2", calyx 6'", corolla 12'" long.— Hab. 

 Trinidad !, Cr., Waterfall at Maraccas ;' [Venezuela] . 



3. ACHIMENES, P. Br. 



Calyx-limb B-partite. Corolla obliquely salver-shaped : limb subequal. Stigma emar- 

 ginate. Ovary inferior, — Slender, stoloniferous herbs ; leaves opposite (or whorled), serrate ; 

 peduncles axillary, \-fiowered. 

 < 3. A. coccinea, ferf. Pubescent; leaves ovate-oblong, .pointed, cuneate at the base ; 

 peduncles jnuch longer than the calyx : corolla crimson : tube subequal at the base. — Sr. 

 /am. 1 30./. 1.— Cyrilla pulcheUa, Ait., Smi.— 6"-12" high; leaves l"-2", coroUa-tube 

 6"'-8"' long ; epigynous (Msk annular. — Hab. Jamaica !, Macf., M'Nab, Bancr., Fd., in 

 moist rocks of the south-eastern hiUs ; [Mexico ! to Panama] . 



4. BYTIDOPHYLLUM, Mart. 



Calyx-limb B-fid: tube ecostate. Corolla obliquely campanulate, dilated below the b'mb. 

 Stamens inserted into the middle of the corolla; anther-cells oblong. Ovary inferior. 

 Capsule medianicide at the produced, free summit. — Scabrous shrubs or half-shrubs ; leaves 

 scattered; flowers corymbose: peduncles long, opposite to a leaf. 



4. R. graude. Mart. Shrubby, simply scabrous ; leaves long, lanceolate-oblong, 

 tapering into a short petiole,; obsoletely denticulate or subentire, pale beneath ; peduncles 

 - equalling the leaves ; calyx-tube pbconical, as long as the deltoid lobes ; corolla greenish- 

 yellow, purple, at the throat : limb oblique ; stamens included ; summit of the capsule 

 bluntly conical — Gesnera, Sw. — 6'-15' high : leaves I'-l-}', calyx-lobes 1 V", corolla 6'" long. 



2 H 



