Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/98

[ 26 ] to some extent, and prove the necessity of reuniting Bronnia with Fouquiera.Fouquiera, Humb. B. Kunth, charact. emendat. Calyx 5-sepalus, imbricatus, persistens. Corolla hypogyna, gamopetala, longe tubulosa, limbo brevi 5-partito, patente, atestivatione incomplete contorta. Stamina 10-15, hypogyna, exserta; filamenta inferne arcuata villosa, basi inter se cohaerentia; antherae biloculares, longitudinaliter dehisceiues, mucromatae, basi cordatae, imo dorso afhxae, introrsae. Ovarium liberum sessile; placentae 3 parietales ad centrum productae neque connaiae, ovarium inde incomplete triloculare; ovula sub-18 ascendentia, in quaque placenta 6 biseriata; stylus filifomiis trifidus. Capsula coriacea trivadvis; valvae medio placentiferae; placentae demum margine centrali connatae et a valvis solutae placentam singulam centralem triangularem form antes. Semina 3-6 complanata, alata s. comosa; albumen tenuissimum roembranaceumj embryo magnus rectus, cotyledonibus plariis, radicula breviori infera. Mexieanshrubs or trees, with soft fragile wood, and tuberculated, angular branches, the tubercles bearing spines, and in their axiils single or fasciculate obovate entire leaves; splendid crimson flowers in terminal or subterminal spikes or panicles-At present only the following species of this genus are known r

1. F. formosa, H. B. K. fruticosa, spinis brevissimis, foliis solitariis oblongis subcarnosis: floribus sessilibus arcte spicatis, staminibus 12; stylo apice tripartito.

2. F. splendent, n. sp. fruticosa, simplex, spinis longioribus, foliis fasciculatis, obovato-spathulatis, membranaceis; floribus breviter pedicellatis in paniculam thyrsoideam congestis, staminibus 15; stylo ultra medium tripartito, seminibus 3-6 comosis.

3. F. spinosa, H. B. K., arborea, ramosa, spinis longioribus, foliis plerumque faseiculatis, obovato-ablongis, membranaceis; floribus pedicellatis corymboso-paniculatis; staminibus 10; seminibus 3 membranaceo-alatis.

Fouquiera splendens is a common plant from the Jornada del Muerto, in New Mexico, to Chihuahua, Saltillo, and Monterey; flowers in April, fruit by the end of May.

A general description has already been given in the text. In New Mexico it was seen only 8 or 10 feet high, but farther south it was found from 10 10 20 feet high, and in favorable localities it is said to grow even 30 feet high, and rarely thicker than about one inch in diameter. Bark smooth and ashy gray; spines horizontal, slightly curved, 6 to 10 lines long, disappearing on old stems; leaves deciduous fascicled in the axiils of the spines towards the top of the stem, short-petioled, spathulate, obtuse, membranaceous, glabrous, somewhat glaucous, 9 to 12 lines long, and 3 The flower of Fouquiera splendens, as I have named the northern plant, is that of a true Fouquiera, while the fruit is nearly that of Bronnia!

Towards El Paso a curious capparidaceous plant was collected, which appears to be nearly allied to the Californian Oxystylis of Torrey and Frémont, and forms with it a distinct group in that family, approaching very closely to Cruciferae, as has been remarked by Professor Torrey.

I have named this new genus (in honor of its discoverer, who has, though unaided and often embarrassed in different ways, done so much towards the advancement of our knowledge of those northern provinces of