PEPEROMIA POLYSTACHYA. DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA.NAT. ORD. PIPERACEE. GEN. CHAR. Spadix cylindraceus, floribus undique tectus. Stamina duo. Stigma indivisum. Bacca monosperma. Caulis herbaceus.-Humb. et Kunth. Peperomia polystachya; pubescens, foliis ter-quaternisque rhombeo-rotundatis petiolatis trinerviis reflexis. Piper polystachyon, AIT. Hort. Kew. ed. 1. v. i. p. 49.; ed. 2. v. i. p. 72.— WILLD. Sp. Pl. v. i. p. 168.-Haw. Succ. Pl. p. 7.-ROEM. et SCHULTZ, Syst. Veget. v. i. p. 330. Piper obtusifolium, JACQ. Coll. v. i. p. 141. (fide AIT.)-Icon. rar. v. i. t. 9. (fide WILLD.) Root very much creeping, jointed, and sending up several stems which are from 8 to 10 inches high, rather stout, green, succulent, jointed, glabrous below, the rest pubescent, cylindrical, branched only upwards, branches ternate. Leaves mostly ternate, nearly an inch long, rather thick, green, pubescent, rhomboid, approaching to orbicular, obtuse, marked with 3 nerves, deflexed, petiolated, petioles nearly half an inch long on the lower part of the stem, very short, and scarcely existing in the upper part. Spadices of flowers arising singly, or 2-3 together, from the extremities of the branches, green, about 3 inches long, upon short peduncles. Flowers numerous. Scales rotundato-quadrate. Stamens 2, roundish, yellow. Pistil ovate: Stigma sessile, radiate. A handsome species, inhabitant of Jamaica and Santa Cruz, of a delicate pale green colour, and well distinguished by the peculiar form of the leaves from all the rest of the genus with which I am acquainted. Cultivated in the stove of the Botanic Garden of Glasgow, where it flowers in the autumn. It was was first brought to this country by Dr JOHN FOTHERGILL in 1775. Fig. 1. Portion of a spike, magnified, to shew the structure of the flowers. VELLEIA LYRATA. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. NAT. ORD. GOODENOVIÆ, Br. Prodr. GEN. CHAR.-Cal. inferus, 3-5 phyllus, inæqualis. Cor. tubo basi ovario accreto, apice hinc fisso; limbo bilabiato. Antheræ distinctæ: Stylus indivisus. Glandula epigyna inter filamenta 2 anteriora Capsula basi biloculari, valvis bipartitis. Semina imbricata, compressa.-Br. Velleia lyrata; glabra, bracteis dichotomiarum distinctis, foliis lyratis Stem scarcely any. Leaves radical, from 1 to 3 inches and more in length, |