52 



Stem stout, forking at brittle swollen joints. L,eaves oval, 

 long, pointed. Flowers in terminal clusters of six or eight, 

 shortly stalked, whitish pink, variegated with yellow, followed 

 by a five-ribbed seed the size of a pea, black, wrinkled, floury 

 within. The brilliant flowers open at four o'clock p.m., clos- 

 ing on the following morning. Rare; and though, found by 

 waysides is evidently originally a garden flower. 



Mirabilis Dichotoma. Linn, (synonymous with M. Jalapa) 

 is cited by Lefroy but without description, and is probably 

 alluded to by Reade, who says — "other varieties are by no 

 means uncommon." It is not likely that the differently 

 coloured flowers may have led to this division of species. 



Bougainvillea Spectabilis. Willd (bougainvillea.) One of 

 the most beautiful creepers in the islands. Introduced from 

 Gibraltar in 1874, it has established itself with great rapidity, 

 and has thrived to such an extent that few garden walls are 

 without it. Its beauty consists of the large scarlet leafy bracts, 

 growing in triplets, from which the more delicate flowers of 

 darker hue rise. It presents the appearance of a mass of sweet 

 pea flowers thrown together. It has taken possession, here 

 and there, of trees as an escape, notably near Fairylands, and 

 will probably in time rival the oleander in its distribution. 

 Early Spring and well on into Summer. 



B. Spectabilis (syn. B. speciosa) is represented by four plants 

 only — one at the Admiral's House two at the Botanic Station, 

 and one at Bellevue, Paget, the residence of the late Wor. 

 W. T. James. 



Natural Order, Amarantaceae. 



Amaranthus Retroflexus, or spinosus. Linn, (amaranth.) 

 An erect plant, stem three to four feet high, reddish, grooved. 

 Leaves three to four inches long, half as wide, oval, pointed, 

 strongly veined below, margin wavy and tinged with red. 

 Spikes green, densely flowered, crowded. Not uncommon in 

 cultivated ground where it is a tall conspicuous weed. Flowers 

 green, minute, rather mealy. Annual. July to October. 



