fair to perfect the fruit, but the parent plant, having pro- 
duced no lateral shoots or suckers (the means by which the 
species of this section of the genus survive from year to 
year), will most probably perish. 
We are glad to find that Mr. Haworth perseveres’ with 
zeal in the study of this race of vegetables, and to hear that 
he has collected as many as 200 species of the present 
genus, -besides obtaining competent information of nearly 
100 more. 
Root tuberous, nearly the size of a duck’s egg. That 
shown in our drawing belonged to a dried sample of va- 
riety («.) Stem quite simple, weak, flexuose, procumbent, 
about 9 inches long or more with the terminal peduncle, 
greenish yellow, ringed by the scars of the fallen foliage, 
and looking as if jointed. Leaves loosishly congregated 
at the end of the stem, about 9 inches long, mostly semi- 
cylindrical, more or less concavely channelled, upper ones 
gradually smaller (about 6 inches long) and rather farther 
apart; all uprightly spreading, reflexed as they wither away, 
but do not fall off at the base. Peduncle terminal, round, 
of one thickness throughout, weak, 4 inches long, tinged 
with purple, furnished at the base with 3 ‘verticillately 
disposed bractes. Calyx hemispherical, segments 5, nearly 
equal, semicylindrical, about an inch long, widening down- 
wards, 2 simple, 2 membranously winged on both sides, the 
fifth only on one side. Flowers yellow, expanding after 
mid-day, but only when the sun shines: petals bright, very 
numerous, in many rows, reaching far beyond the calyx, 
linearly taper-pointed; inner ones becoming gradually less; 
innermost (abortive stamens) with the form of the filaments, 
now and then bearing an imperfect anther. Perfect stamens 
very numerous, incurvedly connivent; filaments very slen- 
der; anthers very small; pollen pale straw-coloured. Styles 
more than 12, deep yellow, twistedly crowded. Germen 
flat-topped, of a pellucid green, radiately streakletted (the 
streaks denoting the number and place of the cells of the 
future capsule). 
