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PEPEROMIA POLYSTACHYA.
Many-stalked Peperomia.

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.

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VELLEIA LYRATA.
Lyrate-leaved Velleia.

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
basive inciso-dentatis, calycis foliolis ovato-orbiculatis.—Br.
V.lyrata, BR. Prodr. p. 580.-SM. in Rees' Cycl. v. xxxvi.-Bot. Regist. t. 551.
V. spathulata, Juss. in Ann. du Mus. v. xviii. p. 17. t. I.

Stem scarcely any. Leaves radical, from 1 to 3 inches and more in length,
glabrous, dentate at the margins, especially at the base, according to
BROWN even lyrate; sometimes entire. Midrib strong, prominent on the
under side, and of a purplish-red colour. From the axils of these leaves
appear the scapes or flowerstalks, which spread out in a patent manner to
the length of 4 or 5 inches; they are glabrous, rounded, once or twice
dichotomous, with generally an intermediate solitary flowerstalk, which,
however, is sometimes abortive. At the axils of the dichotomies is usual-
ly a small tuft of hairs, and constantly a pair of ovato-lanceolate bracteas,
and the same at the pedicels or partial flowerstalks.
Flowers large, handsome, bright yellow. Calyx patent, rather large, of 3
ovate slightly toothed leaves, of which the superior one is the larger.
Corolla monopetalous, tubular, cleft almost to the base on its upper side,
and deeply transversely 2-lipped: upper lip composed of 2, lower one of
3 bifid segments, marked with lines, green in the middle at the back,
their margin broad, winged and waved. Mouth closed. Stamens 5, hy-
pogynous, erect, distinct. Anthers oblong, yellow. Pistil shorter than the
tube of the corolla. Germen roundish, ovate, with a swelling or gland in
front, and adhering by its base to the base of the corolla. Style thickish,
slightly curved, and appearing above the cleft of the corolla, cylindrical,
pubescent above. Stigma oblique, ciliated, concave, with an elevated
margin, which is brownish, and slightly two-lobed below, (indusium of
BROWN).

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