N È JA gracilis.
Slender-leaved Neja.
ClassSf Order. S Y N G E N E S IA P O L Y G A M IA S U P E R F L U A .
Natural Order. C OM PO S ITÆ . Adanson fam . 2. p . Wá.
Fam. V I I . A s t e r e æ . Cassini in diet, des Sc. nat.
N E J A . Involucrum polyphyllum, imbricatum. Receptaculum iayasam.
Flosculi ra d ii foeminei, ligulati ; disci hermaphroditi, tubulosi, 5-dentata.
Antheroe basi muticæ. Aclienia uniformia. Pappus duplex, exterior palea-
ceus : interior pilosus. D . Don Mss.
Descr. Involucrum liemisphæricum, triplici ordine polyphyllum, imbricatum
: squamis lineari-subulatis, acutis, adpressis, obtusè carinatis, pilosis.
Receptaculum con vexum, favosura, squarrosum. Flosculi ra d ii foeminei, plurimi,
subtriplici serie dispositi, subspathulati, apice obtusè tridentati ; disci
hermaphroditi, creberrimi, tubulosi, 5-dentati, extùs parcè papilloso-pilosi ;
fauc e tubo longiore amplioreque, subpentagonà : nervis primariis prominulis.
Fiiamenta fauci inserta, semicylindrica, glabra ; articulo superiore dissimili,
aurautiaco. Antheræ coaEtæ, basi omninò muticæ, appendiculâ lan-
ceolatâ, acutâ, membranaceâ coronatæ. Stylus teres, glaber, basi simplici.
Stigmata cuneiformia, mucronulata, minuté papilloso-hispidula ; radiis line-
ari-lingulata, obtusa, lævia. Achenia uniformia, compressa, undique sericeo-
villosissima. Pappus duplex ; exterior è paleis plurimis, linearibus, cuspi-
datis; interior duplò longior, pilosus, scaber.—Planta (Mexicana) suffrutescens,
diffuse ramosa, p ilis longis patulis copiosè ornata. Rami adscendentes,
cylindrici, foliosi, n itid i, proliferi. Folia alterna, undique versa ( tria
ad caulis circumvolutionem) lineari-angustissima, fe rè acerosa, mucronulo
calloso terminata, suprà canaliculata, subtùs convexa, basi d ilatatâ, adpressâ;
intensé v irid ia , nitidissima, erecta, flexuosa, sesquiv. bipollicaria ; infima
marcescentia, persistentia. Flores magnitudine Inulæ dysentericæ, longè
pedunculati, solitarii, terminales, v. prodeunte ramulo laterales. Pedunculi
filiformes, palmares v. spithamoei, stria ti, vix sulcati, apice incrassati. Invo
lucrum hirtum. Flosculi aurei. Pappus cinerco-fulvellus. D . Don Mss.
N e ja gracilis. D . Don Mss. Swt. hort. brit. e d it.2 . p . 299.
“ This genus is intimately allied to D i p l o c o m a , figured
at tab. 246, of the first series of this work, from which it is,
however, essentially distinguished by the uniformity of its
achenia: the present is, as far as we know, the only species
of the genus. I t is a native of Mexico, from whence it was
introduced in 1828, by the late Robert Barclay, Esq., from
whose collection the specimens were sent, from which our
figure and description were taken.”
For the foregoing account of this neat and abundantly
flowering Autumnal plant, we are obliged to Mr. David Don,
X 2
i l i
I