RONDELETIA LONGI FLORA. 
(Long-flowered Rondeletia.) 
Class. 
PENT ANDRI A . 
Order. 
MONANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
CINCHONACE^. 
Generic Character.— Calyx with a sub-globose tube, 
and a four or five parted limb ; lobes oblong-linear, 
acute, permanent. Corolla with a cylindrical tube, 
which is hardly ventricose at the apex, and a four or 
five-lobed spreading limb ; lobes roundish. Anthers 
four or five, sessile at the top of the tube, inclosed. 
Stigma bifid. Capsule globose, crowned by the calyx, 
two-celled, dehiscing from the apex into two valves, 
which are usually cleft at the apex, whence it some- 
times appears four-valved ; but dehiscing usually at the 
cells, rarely at the dissepiment. Placentas central. 
Seeds numerous, small, ovate, angular, usually only 
two in each cell at maturity. Don's Gard. and Botany. 
Specific Character. — Plant an evergreen shrub. 
Leaves opposite, sessile, oblong-lanceolate, acute, atte- 
nuated at the base, covered with very short down, 
and having numerous regular and prominent veins. 
Flowers in terminal panicles. Calyx with the segments 
slightly unequal, linear. Corolla with a slender tube, 
an inch and a half long, downy, and having a broad 
expansive limb, deep lavender blue. Stamens protrud- 
ing beyond the mouth of the corolla. 
Messrs. Veitch, nurserymen, of Exeter, imported this beautiful plant from 
Brazil, and it flowered for the first time at their Nursery in July 1842, when it 
was exhibited at the last great show of the London Horticultural Society. It was 
then producing large panicles of blossoms from the summits of most of the shoots, 
the plant being about eighteen inches in height, with numerous branches. It 
continued flowering for man y weeks, and a specimen which we received in August 
had much finer and better-coloured blossoms than those which we saw in July. 
The blossoms are borne in clusters, like those of R. odorata ; but the bunches 
are so much larger, as to resemble more nearly those of Luculia gratissima, though 
rather more loosely disposed. The individual flowers have a tube an inch and a 
half in length, expanding into an open spreading limb, round the mouth of which 
the stamens are arranged, protruding slightly. The colour is a bluish lavender, 
very deep, and exceedingly attractive. There is also a trifling odour when the 
inflorescence is perfect. 
Those who cultivate R. odorata, well know its tendency to become straggling, 
and likewise what a great difficulty there is in rendering it anything like bushy. 
The present seems a somewhat more manageable shrub ; and though rather inclined 
to make long bare shoots, may, most likely, be kept dwarf and compact by a timely 
pruning of the young branches. This appears to be the matter requiring most 
attention in its culture, and it should be very closely looked after in this respect. 
VOL. IX. NO. CVI. F F 
