tari' M
may be seen to be obscurely crenate. T h e Teticulation is small, formed by roundish
cellules of nearly th e same size th ro u g h o u t: th e color o f th e leaves a pale green,
becoming s till p a le r a fte r having been k e p t for some tim e in th e Herbarium.
Perigonial leaves very closely imbric a ted, and placed a t th e extrem ity o f th e p la n t, much
intla ted a t tlic base; a t th e ir apices, bo th in th e lobes and lobules, recurved.
PcrichicLial leaves (f. 6) la rg e r th a n th e re s t, an d more e re c t, a little waved a t th e ir
m a rg in s ; w ith tlie ir a lmost cylindrical base, th ey entirely envelop th e lowe r p a r t of
Ihe calyx.
Ma le F u u c t if ic a t io n ahvays, as fa r as my observation enables me to ju d g e , upo n distin c t plants
fi-ora those which produce th e female. The anthers are situ a ted in small clustera in th e axillæ
o f th e perigonial leaves, and upon short w h ite footstalks, T hey resemble, in every respect,
those of J . albicans.
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n constant!)', in reality, te rm in a l, th o u g h th e shoots o r innovations, before
alluded to, as o rig in a tin g n o t unfrequently from the extrem ity o f tlie stem, o ften ta k e th e ir
rise immediately below a calyx, and thenc e make i t seem lateral.
Calyx (f. 5) ovate, o r ra th e r obovate, e rect, p lic a te in its u p p e r h a lf; th e mouth contracted,
and c u t in to several small, shai'p te e th . In color and texture th e calyx resembles th e
leaves, exc ept th a t, in a more adi'anced s ta te , i t is white and scariose a t th e orifice.
Calyptra obovate, whitish, s trongly re ticu la ted , so tra n sp a re n t th a t th e you n g capsule and
its peduncle may very distinctly be seen w ith in i t (f. 7 ). S ty le sh o rt and tub u la r.
Barren pistilla seven o r e ig h t in n um be r, lin e a r, fa intly s tria ted b o th longitudinally
an d transversely.
Peduncle two o r th re e lines long, w h ite , shining, suc culent, cellulose.
Capsule ovate, approa ching to round, o f a deep reddish-brown color; i t divides in to
fo u r equal, ovate, and obtuse I'alves, and d ischarges its numerous
Seeds and spiral filaments (f. 8) o f a fulvous color, th e former spherical, th e la tte r
composed o f a double helix.
I c an n o t quote th e Hallerian synonym, above alluded to , w ith o u t en te rta in in g considerable
doubts as to tlie propriety o f my doing s o ; since th e description is o f such a n a tu re , th a t little
can be collected from i t to aid o u r conjectures, and th e references g iven by th e a u th o r a ll belong
to q uite a different plant, Haller, indeed, observes, th a t th e leaves a re “ paulum a u ric u la ta ,"
and fu rth e r says o f his species, “ a d Ju n g e rm an n iam D il l . 20. ( J . albicans) proximh accedit, sed
foliis differt rotundioribus."
T h e en tire m a rg in s o f th e le a f in J . obtusifolia (or, a t most, th e ir b e in g only very slightly
crena ted in a few th a t a re s itu a ted a t th e extreme p a r t o f th e s tem ), th e w a n t o f th e pellucid
c entra l m a rk , and th e diminutive size o f th e whole p la n t, will always distin g u ish i t from
J. albicans, as will th e obtuse a n d rounded ends o f th e lobes fiom J . D icksoni.
We owe tlie discoi’evy o f th is p la n t to Mr. T hornhill, o f Gateshead, ne a r Newcastle, who found
i t in 1805. Miss Hutchins has since m e t w ith i t in Ire land, in g re a te r plenty and perfection;
ye t, even h ere, i t is confined to one spot. T h e male and female fructification are n e ith e r o f them
o f ra re occurrence, th o u g h I was n o t so fo rtu n a te as to be acqua inted with th e former, before th e
engrave r h ad finished th e p late. T h e individuals pro d u c in g an th e rs a rc rendered conspicuous
hy th e ir swollen apices. Calyces seem to be ab u n d an t th ro u g h o u t th e year, a n d i t appears th a t
they rema in u p o n th e p lan t lo n g a fte r th e peduncle and capsule have decayed.
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
J . obtusifolia, fem a le plants, natural size
The same, ma g n ified .............................................................................................................. ^
Ex tremity o f a sterile s t e m ............................................................................................... *
Lea f, with the lobes e x p a n d e d .......................................................................................... 3
C a ly x ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Pericheetial le a v e s .................................................................................................................. ^
Calyptra, enclosing the young c a p su le ............................................................................ 2
Seeds and spiral filam e n ts .................................................................................................... ^