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A N D R Æ A nivalis.
Tull Slender Andraa.
CRYPTO G AMI A Musd.
Gen. Char. Caps, oblongs o f four valves, whose
points adhere to the lid. Fringe none.
Spec. Char. Stem branched". 'Leaves loosely imbricated,
lanceolate, single-ribbed, curved toward
one side. Sheath-scales similar to the leaves.
Syn. Andræa nivalis. Hooker Tr. o f Linn. Soc. v. 10.
395. t. 1 0 ./. 4.
COMMUNICATED by Mr. W . Borrer, who with Mr.
Hooker discovered this new Andrcea upon rocks on the summit
of Ben Nevis, or Nivis, at the east end. It is perennial, producing
fruit in the summer.
The present species greatly exceeds all previously known in
its height, which is three inches, or more. The stems form
dense tufts, and areupright, slender, leafy, alternately branched,
rarely quite simple. Leaves rather loosely imbricated, lanceolate,
pointed, beardless, entire, slightly concave, brownish,
very minutely dotted, furnished with a strong, dark red midrib,
all more or less sickle-shaped, and curved toward one side.
The scales of the sheath resemble the leaves, except that, according
to Mr. Hooker, the rib of the former extends to about
half their length only. Fruitstalk terminal, solitary, tumid at
•the base, gradually elongated to about a quarter of an inch in
height. Capsule elliptical, dark brown, strongly reticulated,
with a small inversely conical base or apophysis, the valves
cohering at their points by means of the immoveable lid, but
gaping laterally in dry weather to discharge the seeds. Veil
close, torn off irregularly from its base.