170 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANT. 
plants, are two to four in each node, 4 to 4^ lines long, 2 lines 
broad, verticillately disposed, each upon a separate pedicel ; 
their involucels, in about five gradually decreasing imbricated 
pairs, are smooth, opake, subcoriaceous, with almost obsoletely 
membranaceous margins. The two terminal achenia, half in- 
vested by the last pair of involucels, are ovate, somewhat attenu- 
ating upwards, trigonous, with an obtuse pallid perforated sum- 
mit, the tubillus, with lacerated apex, being scarcely exserted*. 
The variety striata of Gillies possesses all the specific features ; 
but the branchlets are less than half the thickness, they are 
glandularly scabrid, of a pallid colour; the internodes in the 
male plant scarcely exceed an inch, while those of the fructiferous 
))lants are 1 to 1^ inch apart ; the leaves, 2^-3 lines long, are 
united for above half their length into a 3-fid vaginant tube. 
There are about six smaller glomerated heads around each node. 
The fructiferous spikelets are 3 lines long, 2 lines broad, with 
three pairs of subcoriaceous involucels with scarious margins, 
the terminal pair enclosing two finely striated, opake, fuscous 
achenia. It may probably form a distinct species ; but there is 
little that can be characterized. 
7. Ephedra Americana, H. B. K. ii. 2 ; Rich. Conif. 31. tab. 29; 
Meyer, Mem. Acad. Petrop. v. 100; — ramulis graciliusculis, 
erectis, subflexuosis, striatellis, pallide virentibus, vix scabrel- 
lis ; foliis oppositis, imo ad nodos in vaginam brevem nexis, 
lobis liberis longiusculis, linearibus, subulato-acuminatis, 
erecto-patulis, submembranaceis, glaberrimis, crebre striatellis, 
serins ruptis et divaricatis, linea transversali tunc nexis : spi- 
cellis 6 axillaribus, sessilibus, subglobosis, oppositis vel 4-ver- 
ticillatis ; involucellis per paria 8-10, floriferis, imbricatis, 
valde concavis ; perigonio paulo longiore, petaloideo ; columna 
staminali 7-nem; antheris 5-7, exsertis : spicellis fructiferis 
in quaque axilla solitariis vel binis, breviter pedicellatis ; in- 
volucellis majoribus, glauco-opacis, marginibus anguste mem- 
branaceis ; acheniis 2, terminalibus, subinclusis, apice calloso 
perforatis. — In Peruvia ; v. s. in herb. Mus. Brit., d et ? ; 
in herb. Hook., 2 Chachapoyas (Mathews, 1838). 
Kunth describes this as a somewhat erect or repent shrub, 
very much branched ; the branchlets are slender, scarcely ^ line 
diam., with internodes 1 to 1^ inch apart. The leaves are 3 to 
5 lines long, 1 line broad, setaceously acute, of a reddish colour, 
and ultimately subreflexed. According to that botanist, the 
male and female flowers are found on the same plant, in the pro- 
* Ample details of structure, and a figure of the plant, are given in 
Plate 77 B. 
