m 
14 
[ 26 ] 
Mexico—the first naturalist, |t is believed, who explored the regions be¬ 
tween Santa Fe, Chihuahua, and Saltillo) Wislizenia! 111 From Oxysty• 
Mis it is principally distinguished by its long stipitate ovary and capsule, 
which latter is relaxed, and fey the elongated racemes; it may, however, 
have to fee united with that genus. 
On the tririuntains about El Paso, another of "those cylindraceous Opun- 
4iae was found-, but much thinner and more slender than both species, 
mentioned previously. To judge ffom ah imperfect description it must-be 
nearly related to 'the Mexican O. mrgata., Hort. Vind. I have given it 
: 
to 4 lines wide; panicles from the upper fascicles of leaves, near the top* * 
| one or several, erect,, crowded, 4 to *6 inches long; pedicels brae ted, 
\ longer than the yellowish chartacepus calyx; seps^j orbicular 2 lines tong; 
Corolla scarlet 9 to 10 lines long; filaments at base slightly cohering with 
om another, and with the base of the ^corolla, villous below and with a 
small horizontal process, which forms m arch over the ovary. Placentae 
iri the ovary lateral, 3, bearing each S ascending -acute ovular, at the inner 
margin, where they-appear to touch one another without being actually 
united at that stage of the growth. Soon after?-they probably adhere in 
f the centre to each other, and towards the ripening of the capsule detach 
themselves from the valves, presenting a free central triangular spongy 
placenta, with about fi (or by abortion less) seeds. Capsule coriaceous 
.oval, acmtish, light brown, about 6 lines long. Seeds compressed, inte¬ 
gument expanded in a wing, which is cordate at the upper end, and 
finally resolves itself into a coma of Silky fibres. If my view of the ovary 
and fruit of this plant is correct, the ovary is 1-celled, with 3 lateral 
^placentae,—that of a true Fowquiera , the ripe capsule is 1-cel led, with one 
central placenta—that of Erminia , and the .unripe fruit, must fee 3-celled! 
* Fouquiera sphndens grows readily front cuts, and is used about Chihua- 
• Jma for hedges and ferices. 
i M Wislizenia , n. gen., sepala 4; petala 4 oblonga, breviter unguiCulata; 
stamina 6 toro cyiindrico inserta; filamenta filiformia longfe exserta, aesti- 
, vatione infiexa; ovarium longe stipitatum, globosedidymum, biloculare, 
Uoculis 2 of ulatis; stylus subulatus, eidngatus, stigma^ globosum. Capsula 
&iliculaeformis, didyma tubercuiata cum stipite in pedicellum filiformera 
grefracta, bilocularis, loculis plerumque per abortum I-spermis; valvae 
uurceolajje a dissepimento pertuso solutji, semen includentJpls; semen con- 
duplicato-reniforme, laeve; eotyledones radicalae superae meumbentes. 
I A glabrous new Mexican annual, much branched, of the habit of Cleo- 
mella , with ternate leaves, distinct iaciniate fimbriate stipules, and bracted 
4at last elongated racemes, small yelldw flowers; fruit reflexed, stipe with 
the equally long (not spinous) style, and the small dissepiment persistent 
after the falling off of the valves. 
I W. refract a, n. sp. On the upper crossing of the Rio Gratide, near El 
JPaso; flowers and lfuit in August. An interesting and quite anomalous 
| plant, on account of its fruit with an almost complete dissepiment, and of 
its* stipules and bracts. Tuberculated* valves of the capsule separating 
from the placentae, and though open, retaining the only (rarely two) se^d 
placentae forming a' complete dissepiment, which, in the perfectly ripe an 3 
dry state, finally becomes perforated in the-centre.. 
