Transactions of the Royal Medico-Botanical Society of London / edited by W. H. Judd.

Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Transactions of the Royal Medico-Botanical Society of London / edited by W. H. Judd. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    alternate (figs. 1, 3.), sometimes the lower opposite the upper alternate (fig. ], a.) or opposite on one branch alternate on the adjoining one (fig. 3.), or alternate on the primary branches opposite on those which arise from them (fig. 3.); more or less scabrous, and minutely hairy and ciliated, ovate, tapering into a short petiole, which is scarcely so long as the two lanceolate stipules. The peduncles are hairy on one side, and vary from once to twice the length of the leaves. The petals are purple, the labellum unguiculate, with a broad two-lobed limb. The anthers connate into a tube ; the style clavate ; the capsule nearly globular, trigonal, three-valved, six-seeded, each navicular valve bearing two elliptical shining brown seeds, attached by short funicali to its centre. The description of the true Cuichunchulli contained in the Venezuela Gazette, and stated to have been communicated by an English botanist, is as follows ; “ The Cuichunchulli of Riobamba is a small humble plant, which generally grows spreading on the earth in the cold and temperate regions of Chimborazo, always on dry and stony ground. Its roots insert themselves so firmly between the stones that it requires both force and ingenuity to detach them- It is much branched in the trunk, but not elsewhei’e. It abounds with leaves, which seldom exceed five-eighths of an inch in length. Its flowers are not longer than one-eighth of an inch, and extremely delicate. The petals are purple, with the ex- ception of the labellum, which is of a rose colour below, and white above and within. The capsules are yellow, one-tenth of an inch in diameter, and the seeds are a dark glossy brown. It is found in the vicinity of Riobamba, in Quito.” These descriptions, together with the appearance and locality of the Cuichunchulli, agree so closely with the description, ap- pearance, and locality of I. microphyllum, that I do not hesitate to agree with Dr. Lindley in considering them to be identical. The colour of the petals is expressed by Humboldt in nearly the same words. They are said to be “ purple, with the ex-