or obscure species of Plants. 42 ] 



apice attenuato affixes, pendulae, appendiculis gracilibus. Stigma 

 truncatum pentagonum. Folliculi 



Herbse ? erectce, viminece, graciles, simplices, subpubescenles. Folia 

 opposita, linearia. Umbellae inierpeliolares, sabsessiles ; pedicelli 

 Jilijormes,foliis multo breviores, ac calyces pubescentes. Flores parvi. 



1. R. tenue (Arn.) foliis lineari-filiformibus margine revolutis. 

 Ad Caput Bonse Spei legit CI. Harvey (Herb. Harv. n. 629.) 



This genus is allied in character to Xysmalobium, also from the 

 Cape, but that is destitute of the projecting toothlet, which arises 

 in this from the inside of the coronal leaflets. Cynanchum Jiliforme 

 Thunb. is apparently another species with broader and flat leaves. 



Besides the present, I have received only two other Cape species 

 of Asclepiadese from Mr Harvey : one is Cynanchum pilosum, R. Br. 

 (Herb. Harv. No. 413.) ; and the other Secamone Alpini, R. and S. 

 (Herb. Harv. no number.) 



In Wight's " Contributions," and Decandolle's fifth volume of 

 the " Prodromus," two plants are referred to the genus Blepharis- 

 permum ; but on account of the specimens of one of them being im- 

 perfect, the character was principally taken from B. petiolare. 

 More lately, having received additional specimens of B. subses- 

 sile from Dr Wight, I am now enabled to describe it more fully ; 

 and as it cannot be conjoined into one genus with B. petiolare, 

 (unless indeed Athroisma be also united,) I shall here give the re- 

 formed character of Blepharispermum, as well as of the new one. 

 Blepharispermum, Wight. (Composite.) 



Capitula innumera in glomerulum globosum coacervata ; axi 

 hemisphserica. Bracteas sub glomerulo oblongo-lanceolatie, mem- 

 branaceae. Capitula 4-flora, monoica. Receptaculum paleaceum. 

 Involucrum oligophyllum. Flores exteriores 2, feminei, filiformes. 

 tridentati ; interiores 2, masculi, tubulosi, 5-dentati. Antherce basi 

 sagittate- subcaudatee. Stylus fl. masc. subinteger. Achenium femi- 

 neum obovali-oblongum, tetragono-obcompressum, angulis laterali- 

 bus ciliatis, caeteroquin glabrum ; mascul. tetragonum, lineare, gla- 

 brum. Pappus fem. e paleis scariosis, paucis, ineequalibus, acumi- 

 natissimis ; masc. nullus. 



SufFrutex Ceylanicus, glaberrimus. Folia alter na, petiolata, ovato* 

 lanceolata, acuminata, integerrima, penninervia. Glomeruli longe 

 pedunculali, ierni ad apicem rami, bracteis involucralibus glomerulo 

 brevioribus. 



1. B. petiolare, D. C. in Wight. Contr. p. 12; Prod, v, p. 368; 

 Wight. Cat. n. 1417. 



