202 | 
ss PYCNOSTACHYS COERULEA. 
Blue Pycnostachys. 
DIDYNAMIA GYMN OSPERMIA —Nat. On. LABIA THE. 
| Gun: Cuar.—Flores densissime spicati, inferiores bracteati. Calyx tubo — 
brevi subangulato, dentibus spinosis, equalibus, sinubus involutis oram 
tegentibus. Corolla bilabiata, declinata, tubo longiusculo, labio infe~ 
riore longiore, ovato-concavo, integerrimo ; superiore concaviusculo, tri- 
fido, lobo medio bifido. _ Semina (achenia) 4, rotundata compressa. 
| Pycnostachys cerulea. . 
Apparently annual or Benin. Stem erect, obtusely quadrangular, gla~ 
brous, with opposite branches. Leaves distant, lanceolate, attenuate at 
the base and the extremity, the upper and smaller ones entire, the rest 
deeply and coarsely gage except at the base, every where glabrous, 
nerved. | : 
Flowers in very dense, terminal spikes, bee blue, upright in bud, re-= 
markably declined when expanded ; the lower ones having a few linear 
purplish bractez, sessile. Calyx with a short, obtusely pentangular 
tube, ending in 5 at length very much spreading spinulose teeth, the 
sinuses of which form so many involute, membranous portions or valves. Sg 
Corolla much longer than the calyx. Tube rather long, white ; 
lip (become so by the bending down of the flower), 3-lobed, the mi 
lobe bifid, the back slightly glandular: lower ip much the longest, 
bright blue, ovate, deeply concave, glandular on the under side, quite 
entire. Stamens inserted at the base of this lower lip, 4, didynamous, 
curved upwards. Anthers oval, 1-celled, bluish. Germen 4-lobed ; style. 
as long as the stamens; stigma bifid. Seeds, or Achenia, 4, oval, com- 
pressed, smooth, enclosed in the calyx, and concealed by the 5 valves, 
or inflexed margins of the sinuses of the calyx, at which time also the 
teeth of the calyx are very patent. 
In the month of April of this year, 1825, when I had the 
pleasure of looking over some dried specimens of Madagascar 
plants with Mr Barcuay at Bury-hill, we selected some seeds 
of a curious labiate species, which, under the skilful manage- — 
- ment of the gardener Mr CAMERON, produced, in the month 
VOL. III. 
