186 
THALAMIFL0R2E. 
neatb. Stipules interpetiolary, deltoid, hairy : common petiole 
terete, silky. Peduncles axillary, about the length of the leaf, 
filiform, pubescent, l-flowered. Flowers large, showy, yellow. 
Sepals | an inch in length, lanceolate, nerved, hairy. Petals 
broad towards the apex. Stamens 10; anthers oblong and 
much compressed, opening at the sides. Ovary ovate, setose 
with long white hairs ; styles 5, short, united into 1 ; stigmata 
oblong, puberulo-papillose, yellow. Carpels 5, united into a 
globose 3-angular capsule, muricated with herbaceous spines or 
tubercles, hairy. 
This is a very showy plant when in flower. It blossoms in 
great profusion after rains, so that the pastures about Kingston 
appear at times, from the neighbouring hills, as if covered with 
a bright yellow carpeting.* Poultry are very fond of the flowers 
and seeds of this plant, and are said to acquire a superior 
flavour, and to become fat from feeding on them. This would 
appear to be an introduced plant, as it is rather limited in its 
locality, and has not been noticed by either Sloane or Browne. 
2. Tribulus decolor. Pale-flowered Turkey-Blossom. 
Leaves 3-4-j agate, the outer leaflets the largest, 
pedicels shorter than the leaf, carpels unarmed con- 
nected into a 10-ribbed, 10-seeded fruit. 
T. terrestris major, flore maximo odorato, Sloane, I. 209. t. 
132. f. 1. — T. foliis senis pinnatis, floribus singularibus, 
Browne, 220. t. 21. f. 3. — T. maximus, Jacq. Ic. Rar. t. 462. 
— Lam. 111. t. 346. f. 2. 
HAB. Common on the dry sandy situations. 
FL. After rains. 
Stems procumbent, subterete, somewhat succulent, slightly 
tinged with red, pubescent, somewhat swollen as if jointed at 
the situation of the leaves. Leaflets shortly petiolulated, ovato- 
oblong, apiculated, ciliated, pubescent beneath, nerveless with 
exception of the mid-rib : petiole sub-3-gonal, terminating in a 
subulate hairy apicula. Stipules a pair to each leaf, lineari- 
subulate, ciliated. Peduncles axillary, solitary, at first shorter 
than the leaf, afterwards as the fruit ripens elongating, one- 
flowered. Flowers of a pale tawny buff colour, much smaller 
than those of the preceding species, slightly fragrant. Sepals 
subulate, thick, hairy, persistent. Fruit inversely pear-shaped, 
with an acuminate blunt beak; the lower portion 10-ribbed, 
(the ribs tuberculated), 10-seeded or fewer from some of the 
carpels having the seeds abortive. 
I have changed the specific designation from maximus, as the 
flowers are by no means remarkable for their size, not being 
one third that of the T. cjstoides. The capsule has some 
resemblance in form to that of the genus Thunuergia, but 
inverted. 
