366 
41. OIBELLACEJE. 
wise similar but only 2-3 lines long. General and partial inv. 
6-10 lanceolate or linear-lanceolate finely setaceo-acuminate and 
downy i. e. very shortly velvety at the back, hairy-fringed at 
the edges. FI. small dull w. Ov. and the distinct ovate erect 
mucronate sep. thickly pubescent. Pet. clothed all over out- 
side at the back with short and ciliate or fringed at the edges 
with longer hairs quite to the mostly blunt sometimes acute 
tip of their ligulate or narrow-spathulate lacinia. Stam. 
twice as long as pet., anth. lilac or purple. Styles short thick 
erect mutually incurved or forcipate in fl., in fr. divergent. 
Stylopod tumid in fl., conic in fr. Fr. dorsally flattened but 
thickish, oblong-oval or elliptic, a little pointed or contracted 
at each end, 4—6 lines long, 2-3| broad, l|-2 thick, finely and 
shortly and thickly pubescent all over, pale sienna-brown or 
fawn-colour, 14-ribbed, the ribs all thickened obtuse corky, the 
4 lateral very large, the dorsal smaller unequal. In each meri- 
carp are visible externally 7 ribs, 5 dorsal and 2 (very large) 
lateral or marginal. Of the 5 dorsal ribs 3 are primary and the 
2 alternate secondary, the latter often quite as prominent or even 
more so than the middle one at least of the 3 primary ; the 2 
remaining primary are small simple and invisible except on a 
transverse section of the fr., being placed almost on the com- 
missure close behind the 2 remaining lateral or marginal vastly 
enlarged thickened and dilated fungose secondary ribs almost 
within the edges of the mericarp. Vittce 6 ; 4 dorsal slender, 
one under each secondary rib, and 2 commissural very broad 
and shallow. Carpophore bipartite. 
First discovered in company with T. V. Wollaston, Esq., in 
June 1855, but with ripe fr. only. I am now enabled to com- 
plete its description by adding the somewhat peculiar details 
of the fl., which confirm its approximate position to Melcino- 
selinum, by the help of dried flowering spec, raised in Fimchal 
by Sr. J. M. Moniz, the excellent and zealous botanist whose 
name this very rare, remarkable and interesting pi. so worthily 
commemorates. 
Recourse is had to its roots, boiled or raw, as an esculent by 
the goatherds, Orchil-gatherers, or fishermen temporarily so- 
journing amidst those desolate and barren rocks, well named 
the Desertas, in lack of other supplies of food from stress of 
weather. They are however very stringy, dry and tasteless. 
