Ord. polygalace^. 



1. POLYGALA, Linn. 



* Austro-Americance. 

 1. POLYGALA STENOPHYLLA, Sp. Nov. 



P. glabra; caulibus gracilibus ramisque erectis junceis; foliis filifor- 

 mibus mox deciduis; racemis elongatis spicatis laxifloris; carina 

 cassidiformi alas calycinas subwquante ample cristata seu in floribus 

 serotinis ecristata I 



Hab. Rio Negro, Northern Patagonia; on sand-hills. 



Root apparently perennial. Stems slender, one to 2 feet high, her- 

 baceous but rigid, terete, green and rush-like, paniculately branched, 

 the branches also erect, filiform, glabrous, as is the whole plant. Leaves 

 alternate, all filiform or setiform, an inch or more in length, sparse, 

 the cauline ones deciduous. Racemes or spikes terminating the 

 branches one or two inches in length, either rather densely or quite 

 loosely flowered. Bracts minute, ovate, scarious, caducous, about the 

 length of the very short pedicels, that is, less than a line long. Exte- 

 rior sepals ovate, obtuse, scarious or petaloid, nearly white. Wings 

 broadly obovate, very obtuse, nearly 2 lines long, white in the dried 

 specimens, as long as the carina. Corolla tinged with blue or purple : 

 the lateral petals narrowly oblong, equalling the carina, below adnate 

 to the claw for its whole length : the carina itself short and some- 

 what helmet-shaped, entire, surmounted with an ample multifid-fim- 

 briate crest, which, however, in the later flowers is reduced to a few 

 fimbria, and in some of them wholly disappears! Stamens 8. Style 



