460 
POLEMONIUM mexicanum. 
Greek-Valerian of Mexico. 
—< 
PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. PoLEMONIA (recentitis POLEMONIDER). Jussieu gen. 136. 
POLEMONIUM. Cal. urceolatus, 5-fidus. Cor. rotata, tubo brevi, 
limbo 5-fido (regulari), Staminum jilamenta (medio corolle tubo inserta) 
basi latiora: anthere incumbentes. ( Caps. calyce persistente cincta, 3-locu- 
laris, 3-valvis, polysperma, valvis medio septiferis seu costa prominente in- 
structis, receptaculo s. dissepimento centrali trigono valvularum septis angu- 
datim applicito). Herbe erecte; folia alterna pinnata; flores corymbesi ter- 
minales. Juss. 1. c. 
P. mexicanum, foliis pinnatis polyphyllis, terminali trilobo: floribus cernuis: 
calycibus villoso-viscidis. Lagasca elench. append. 10. 
Herbacea, biennis, erecta, viscoso-villosa, sesquipedalis v. ultra, caule 
striato-tereti, alterné remoteque folioso, superné paniculato ramulis axil- 
laribus apice aggregatim pauci-(2-4-) floris summis in pedunculos unifloros 
abeuntibus, inferne ad articulos vagind brevi membranacedé cincto. ~ Fol. 
erectiuscula, multt-(12-13-)pinnata foliolis anguste decurrentibus ovato- 
oblongis acutis. Cal. villis viscosis subhirsutits pubescens, cylindrico-cam- 
panulatus, persistens, segmentis brevibus angulato-ovatis, ad imum divi- 
surarum angulum glanduloso-letescentibus. Pollen _ vitellino-flavescens. 
Gem. conicum, torulosum, glabrum, obtusum: stylus filiformi-clavatus: stig- 
mata 3 ligulato-lobata, obtusula, replicato-patentia. Caps. calyce inclusa. 
In the capsule of the Polemonidece the angles of the re- 
ceptacle of the seed (which is central) come in contact with. 
the valves at the partition borne along the middle; and b 
this circumstance the order has been technically dis- 
tinguished from the Convolvulacew, where the angles of 
the receptacle come in contact with the outermost edges of 
the valves; characters mutually influencing the general 
habits of the two orders they distinguish. 
The present species was sent by Professor Cervantes 
from the Botanic Garden at Mexico to Madrid, where it 
flowered, according to M. Lagasca, in 1815. The plant 
that afforded the drawing was raised in the hothouse at 
Boyton from seed received from Madrid by Mr. Lambert, 
and flowered last autumn for the first time in this country, 
when it was kindly transmitted to our draughtsman. 
A herbaceous upright clammy biennial plant, about a 
foot and a half high; stem round, fluted, alternately and 
