longiora, marginibus sinuato-undulatis, vel subdentatis, nervis tenuibus reticulatis, in axillis gemmas floresve gerentia. Flores valde immaturi tantum mihi visi, parvi, brevissime pedunculati; pedunculi basi v. supra basin bibracteolati, bracteolis parvis lanceolatis acutis. Calycis tubus oblongus; limbus inæqualiter 5-lobus, tubo brevior, lobis ovato-subulatis acutis, superiore majore basi utrinque et duobus proximis basi extus auriculatis, 2 iuferioribus minoribus. Corolla profunde 5-loba, lobis æstivatione valvatis virido-purpureis. Stamina lobis corollæ alterna, filamentis crassis, antheris cohærentibus, 2 superioribus ad apicem 3–4 setosis, seta intermedia longiore. Ovarium biloculare, loculis multiovulatis; ovulis anatropis, funiculis brevibus. Stylus apice bifidus, lobis brevibus extus puberulis v. pilosis. Bacca subglobosa, obscure bisulcata, v. biloba, lobo superiore majore basi gibboso, segmentis calycinis coronata, sub 4 lin. longa, bilocularis, parietibus carnosis rubro-purpureis venosis, dissepimento carnoso ad medium incrassato placentifero. Semina numerosissima, funiculis brevibus dissepimento adnata, ascendentia, parva, ovalia, testa crustacea atra nitida, nunc brunnea, seu castanea, albumine carnoso. Embryo minimus, orthotropus, pyriformis, radicula tereti crassa obtusa hilo proxima, cotyledonibus brevibus.
A very distinct species, of which I much regret that I have not more satisfactory specimens which would allow of an examination of the expanded flowers. The peduncles of the bud and of the berry are so remarkably short, as at once to point out this as very distinct from any others of the genus; and it further differs from all the other round-leaved species in the size and obscure toothing of the leaves, their very short petioles, and in the red-purple colour of the berries. It is most nearly allied to the P. angulata (vide infra).
Having had the opportunity of examining some species of Pratia in Herb. Hooker, I shall here append the characters of all that are known to me as certainly belonging to this genus[1]; besides which, there are several
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PRATIA,Gaud.
§ I. Lobis calycinis 3 v. pluribus basi auriculatis.
1. P. arenaria, Hook. fil.; vide supra.
Hab. Auckland Islands.
2. P. Cunninghamii; ramis ascendentibus, foliis subdistichis sessilibus ovato-lanceolatis v. oblongo-ovatis obtusis obtuse repando-serratis coriaceo-carnosis, pedunculis folio ½—¼ brevioribus, bacca ovato-globosa submembranacea, seminibus testa coriacea pallide brunnea areolata v. granulata.—Isolobus ? Cunninghamii, Alph. DeC. in Prodr. vol. vii. p. 354. Lobelia inundata, Cunn. MSS. (non Br.) an Lob. concolor, Brown, Prodr. p. 563 ? Pratia erecta, Gaud. in Freycin. Voy. Bot. p. 456 ?
Var. β. longipes; pedunculis folio æquilongis longioribusve.
Hab. New Holland; morasses on the banks of the McQuarrie River: Frazer. Low lands about the Hunter River; A. Cunningham.
β. Inundated banks of the Lachlan River; A. Cunningham.
§ II. Lobis calycinis basi nudis, seu auriculis nullis.
3. P. repens, Gaud.; ramis repentibus radicantibus, foliis erectis longe petiolatis carnosis subcordato-orbiculatis sinuato-dentatis, pedunculis crassis petiolo æquilongis bi- tri-bracteolatis, bacca globosa carnosa, seminibus pallide fuscis.—P. repens, Gaud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. vol. v. p. 103. Voy. Freyc. pp. 134 and 456. t. 79. D'Urv. Fl. Ins. Mal. in Mém. Linn. Soc. Paris, vol. iv. p. 608. Alph. DeC. in Prodr. vol. vii. p. 340.
Hab. Falkland Islands, Tierra del Fuego, and S. Chili, on the east and west side of the Andes.
I have not retained the var. Urvilleana, Alph. DeC. 1. c., because in my specimens the calycine segments are
