are almost round or reniform, gradually deeper, triangular,
and the middle lobe often somewhat produced, in the upper
part of the plant; the sinus at the insertion of the stalk wide-
spreading. Stipules triangular, acuminate. Both stem and
leaves sprinkled with inconspicuous hairs; those on the stem
mostly in small fascicles, those on the leaves, except on the
midrib and stronger nerves beneath, simple. Flowers very
small, in axillary and terminal clusters, of few flowers and
those on longer stalks towards the base of the plant, gradually
more dense and numerous upwards. Flower-stalks rough with
short hairs, usually very short in the larger clusters, with one
or two twice as long as the rest. Calyx rough with longish
mostly binate hairs: outer of spreading linear-lanceolate leaves;
inner longer, cleft more than half-way into triangular segments,,
a little rugose; at length reticulated, somewhat inflated, closing
over the fruit. Corolla about twice as long as the calyx: petals
cuneate, from a narrow white claw connected at the base
with the staminal tube, pale purple upwards, their inner surface
sprinkled with minute colourless glands, apex emarginate,
erose. Stamens white: tube half as long as the corolla, rough
upwards with short deflexed hairs; anthers small. Styles connate
below. Stigmas white, revolute, curled. Fruit deeply
sulcate, hairless or nearly so; umbo of the axis of moderate
size, conical, slightly prominent. Carpels 10-12, pale brown
when ripe, orbicular-reniform, pressing each other only towards
the base, whence the edges above are rounded, not marginate ;
their sides are strongly wrinkled, and the raised lines, being
continued over the edges, are more faintly apparent on the
back of the carpel, vanishing line. at the scarcely elevated dorsal
The larger clusters of flowers, although they originate on
one side of the stem, often close around it so as to appear ver-
ticillate. The uppermost joints of the stem are so short that
the clusters become confluent, and the subtending leaves are
often small and deciduous: hence the stem has been erroneously
described as terminated by a dense aphyllous spike.
M. crispa, which Linnaeus, first in Hort. Cliff, p. 502, and
subsequently at different periods in others of his works, proposed
as a variety of M. verticillata, but finally, in Syst. Nat.
ed. ID, gave as a distinct species, is a plant of stouter growth,
branching in the upper part, and of a brighter green; its
leaves, besides that their margin is curled, have usually seven
lobes of a more lengthened outline, and the edges of the basal
sinus overlap each other; the corolla is shorter in proportion
to the calyx; the carpels are appressed to each other, so that
their edges are not rounded; and the central umbo of the
fruit is more prominently conical.'—W. B.