A most distinct and pretty little species, certainly belonging to the group Euacana, though that, as now constituted, is very artificial. The present forms one of a small section in which the spike is truly elongated, the fruit compressed and covered with short glochidiate seta?, and which have a depressed stigma. To the same group belong A. latebrosa, Ait., A. elongata, Linn., A. lappacea, R. and P., and A. myriophylla, Lindl., with, amongst others, a new species from Monte Video[1].
Plate XCV. Fig. I, portion of peduncle, bracteola, and flower;^. 2, stigma;_/?y. 3, ripe fruit cut open, showing the seed ; fig. 4, embryo removed from the seed : — all magnified.
1. Aclena cuneata, Hook, et Am.; argenteo-sericea, caule brevi ? clecumbente, foliolis 4-7-jugis oblique obovato-cuneatis superne grosse inciso-dentatis utrinque sericeis suprenris basi supra petioluni deor-sum productis, pedunculo scapiforrni valido, floribus paucis majusculis reniotis v. subgloboso-spicatis, petalis dorso sericeis, staminibus 2 filamentis subelongatis, stigmate depresso, fructibus obovatis tetragonis mono-spermis v. latioribus compressis et dispermis undique spinis apice glochidiatis basi dilatatis armatis. R. cuneata, Hook, et Am. in Bot. Miscell. vol. iii. p. 307.
Hab. Strait of Magalhaens ; Cape Gregory ; Capt. King.
Cuiilis validus, 2-3-uncialis, ascendens. Folia 3-5 unc. longa, foliolis i- i uncialibus. Pedtmculi pedales, foliis paucis abbreviatis instructi. Bracteola lineares. Flores esemplaribus Chilensibus virides, Patagonicis luride fusco-purpurei.
Capt. King's specimens exhibit ripe fruit only, whilst those from Chili, gathered by Bridges and Cuming, are in flower. The fruit is often formed of two carpels and then is compressed ; the arming is different from that of the last species and consists of strong short spines, very broad at the base, sometimes arranged in rows, so as to give a pectinated appearance. Both in the form of the fruit and in the nature of the glochidiate spines, this is allied closely to A.piunatifida, R. and P., and A. trifida, R. and P. The A. cylindristacjiya, R. and P., is figured by its describers as sometimes bearing two carpels ; it is quite a distinct species, though nearly allied to a Carthagenian one, A. macrorhiza[2], mihi.
3. AcjENA (Ancistrum) multifield, Hook. fil. ; tota pilis sparsis villosiuscula, caule gracili ascendente simplici v. superne pluiies diviso, foliis linearibus, petiolis gracilibus, foliolis varie profunde sectis ad costam
- ↑ A. Monte-Videnm, n.sp. ; laxe villosa, pilis patentibus, foliolis oppositis altemisque 7-9-jugis lineari-oblongis inciso-piunatifidis laciniis plnrimis obtusis supra glabris subtus sericeis, peduncido villoso folioso, spica interrupta elongata cylindracea obtusa, floribus parvis sessilibus, petalis glabriusculis, staminibus 2-4, stybs plerunique 2, stigmatibus depressis phunosis, fructibus late oblongis compressis undique setis brevibus apice gloclndiatis annatis.
Hab. Monte Video ; Capt. King.
Species satis distincta, tota pilis mollibus patulis fulvis vestita.
Radix basisque caulis desunt. Folia 4 unc. longa, foliolis ^-uncialibus sessilibus. Spica 2 unc. longa. Flores sub 1 lin. longi, petalis fusco-rubris. - ↑ A. macrorhiza, n. sp. ; radice crassissimo descendente, caide subnullo, foliis lanceolatis, foliolis 15-20-jugis
lineari-lanceolatis subacutis sessilibus basi oblique subcordatis seiTatis segmentis penicillatis supra pubescenti-pilosis
subtus petiolisque pidcherrime argenteo-sericeis, pedunculis elongatis scapiformibus sericeis, spica florifera densa
cylincfracea obtusa, staminibus 4, stigmate depresso, fructibus oblongis tetragonis compressis glaberrimis spinis 4
inaequilongis armatis.
Hab. Carthagena ; high mountains above St. Sebastian ; Purdie. A. cylindrktacliycB habitu foliisque simillima, sed fructu diversissima.
