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COMAROSTAPHYLIS arbutoides. 
Arbutus-like Gritberry. 
DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. Ericace®:. 
COMAROSTAPHYLIS. Zucc. Calyx quinquefidus. Corolla hypo- 
gyna, globoso-campanulata, limbo quinquefido, reflexo. Stamina 10, imse 
corollee inserta ; filamenta brevia ; antherce a latere compressse, dorso infra 
apicem affixse, reflexo-biaristatse, apice biporosse. Ovarium disco hypogyno 
cinctum, quinqueloculare, rarius sex-novemloculare, loculis uniovulatis. Sty- 
lus simplex ; stigma obtusum. Drupa globosa, papillosa, monopyrena, pu- 
tamine osseo, quinqueloculari, rarius sex-novemloculari, loculis monospermis. 
Semina inversa. Frutices mexicani; foliis alternis , sempervirentibus, inte- 
gerrimis v, argute serratis, racemis terminalibus simplicibus. Endl. gen. 
no. 4328. 
C. arbutoides ; erecta, ramulis foliis subter paniculisque tomentosis, foliis 
lineari-oblongis integerrimis mucronulatis virentibus subtus ferrugineis, 
bracteis acuminatis pedicellis brevioribus. 
A native of Quezaltenango in Guatemala, this plant has 
been raised in the garden of the Horticultural Society from 
seeds received from Mr. Hartweg. It produced its flowers 
for the first time in October, 1842 ; and is now (May, 1843) 
again in blossom. 
In some respects it is rather like Comarostaphylis polifolia, 
but its leaves are much broader and larger and thinner, and 
they are covered beneath with ferruginous down ; the flowers 
are in panicles, standing high above the leaves, are four times 
as large, and are white not crimson. 
In appearance it resembles an Arbutus, but it has a dru- 
paceous fruit, covered with the tubercles of that genus. It 
differs from Arctostaphylos in the fruit not being smooth, 
and in having a five-celled drupe, and from Arbutus in the 
fruit not being many-seeded. It appears, with some other 
plants, to form a perfectly well marked genus. 
