1X4 PHAN. EROGAMIA. 



Lychnis, subgen. Melandrium, Braun, in Flora, 1889, 1, p. 319; Koch. Fl. 

 Germ. & Helv. ed. 2, 1, p. 116. 



1. Melandrium thysanodes. 



M. caule adscendente uni-paucifloro ; foliis lanceolatis radicalibusve 

 spathidatis marginibus ciliato-tomentosis, svperioribus calyce pedun- 

 adisque gland uloso-jmbescentib us ; calyce latissime campanulato ad 

 medium quinquefido petalis fere nudis brevioribus ; unguibus filamen- 

 tisque basi tomentosis in annulum carnosum cupulatum ab gynophoro 

 brevi discretum coalitis ; seminibus Iwvibus margine lato inflato alatis. 



Silene thysanodes, Fenzl, in Endl. Stirp. Nov. Dec. 4, p. 31. 

 Lychnis thysanodes, Hook. f. Fl. Antarc. p. 246. 



Hab. Above Baiios and Alpamarca, in the high Andes of Peru. 



Plant casspitose, from a perennial root. Stems in our specimens all 

 simple and one-flowered, 3 to 6 inches high, ascending, glandular- 

 pubescent, especially near the summit. Leaves rather fleshy, lanceo- 

 late, or the radical o?ies often spatulate, not unlike those of M. apetalum, 

 except that they are shorter, more or less pubescent, or the upper 

 ones (like the peduncle and calyx) glandular-pubescent, all tomentose- 

 ciliate, especially when young. Calyx 4 lines long, broadly campanu- 

 las, or in fruit broadly turbinate or hemispherical, scarcely at all 

 striate or nerved, five-cleft to near the middle; the lobes ovate, obtuse, 

 strongly tomentose-ciliate. Petals about one-third longer than the 

 calyx; the limb short, obovate or cuneate, purplish; the crown 

 reduced to two minute appendages, or obsolete. Stamens 10, the five 

 filaments opposed to the petals adnate with the base of their claws, 

 all woolly-pubescent at the very base, and inserted into the edge of a cup- 

 shaped or cylindraceous fleshy disk, which encircles the short stipe of 

 the ovary, but is free from it. Styles 5. Ovary cylindraceous, one- 

 celled. Capsule about the length of the calyx, five-valved ; the valves 

 two-cleft. Seeds numerous, quadrate-reniform, with a smooth testa, 

 which is extended beyond the nucleus into a wide and thiclcish (probably 

 inflated) wing. Embryo coiled into almost a complete ring. 



This is without much doubt the species of the Colombian Andes, 



