192 
ANDROMEDA SALICirOLIA. 
Willow-leaved Andromeda, or Wild Arbutus^ 
DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA._Nat. Ord. ERICEM. 
Gen, Char. — Cal. 5-partitus. Cor. ovata, ore quinquefido. Capsula su- 
pera, quinque-locularis, dissepimentis e medio valvarum. 
Andromeda salicifolia; racemis secundis glabris, foliis lanceolatis basi 
apiceque attenuatis subtus albidis. 
Andromeda salicifolia, Commers, MSS. — Lam. Encycl v. i. p. 159- — Smith, 
Ic. ined. t. 58. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. ii. p. 6ll. 
Shrubby, much branched, glabrous in all its parts. Leaves numerous, al- 
ternate, 2-4 inches long, rigid, coriaceous, lanceolate, but varying con- 
siderably in breadth in different specimens, acuminated, quite entire, 
attenuated at the base into a footstalk, which is from half an inch to an 
inch in length, dark green above, pale, and almost white beneath : there 
is a central rib, and two obscure depressed lines, one on each side, run- 
ning parallel with it. 
Racemes terminal, 4-6 inches long. Flowers rather large, handsome, secund, 
drooping. Pedicels about as long as the floWer, subtended by a minute 
scale or bractea. Califx deeply 5-fid ; the segments broadly ovate. Co- 
rolla ovate, or oblongo-ovate, of a beautiful pUrple colour, the mouth 
contracted, 5-toothed. Stamens 8. Filaments erect : Anthers with a pore 
at the extremity of each cell. Germen 5-lobed. Style shorter than the 
corolla: stigma obtuse. Capsule very hard, coriaceous, opening with 
5 valves, each valve bearing the dissepiment in the middle, which dis- 
sepiment alternates with the lobes of the central seminal receptacle : 
hence it is 5-ceUed. The lobes of the receptacle are covered with nu- 
merous, small, oblongi curved brownish seeds, and are crowned with the 
persistent style. 
For the opportunity of figuring this charming plant, I 
am indebted to Charles Telfair, Esq. of the Mauritius, 
who was so good as to send me a coloured drawing by Mrs 
Telfair, together with numerous fine specimens, in various 
stages of fructification. Commerson is the first botanist who 
VOL. in. 
