[7]                            148
smooth simple stems, to the height of from 12 to 25 feet, with a panicle of scarlet flowers near the summit. It differs slightly from the figure and description of Kunth, but seems to be the same plant. The leaves are obovate-oblong, glabrous and membranaceous, growing in fascicles in the axils of the spines. The spines are from a half an inch to near an inch in length, slender, more or less spreading, or even somewhat recurved. At the base of each is a longitudinal protuberance which extends along the stem until it reaches the spine, which is on a line with it below. The panicle is usually contracted and elongated, but sometimes short, and almost corymbose. The flowers are on short pedicles which are furnished with deciduous bracts. Sepals 5, nearly orbicular, concave, strongly imbricated, persistent, about one fourth the length of the corolla. Corrola about three-fourths of an inch long; the tube cylindrical, and often curved; limb 5-cleft, with ovate rather acute segments. Stamens 13 to 16 exserted, hypogynous; the filaments thickened and somewhat coherent at the base; anthers linear-oblong, mucro-nate. Ovary 3-celled, with about 6 ascending anatropous ovules in each cell; style 3-parted below the middle. Capsule oblong, acute, obtuse, triangular, coriaceous and glabrous, 3-valved, locu-licidal, straight, or little curved, 1-ceUed by the separation of the valves from the triangular axis. Seeds 3 to 6, white, ovate, peltate, much compressed, with a broad winged margin, which is an expansion of the testa, and which finally is resolved into numerous fine hairs. These are beautiful objects under the microscope. They are spiral vessels consisting of an extremely delicate sheath, containing the loosely coiled thread which frequently ramifies with anastomosing branches. The whole testa is formed of these singular vessels. Embryo nearly as large as the seed; cotyledons fo-liaceous; radicle pointing downward. There can be little doubt of the propriety of uniting Bronnia and Fouquiera. Each genus was founded on a single species, and both plants seem to be very little known to European botanists. Of the former the flowers are imperfectly described, and of the latter the fruit is unknown. Our plant partakes of the characters of both genera. In the ovary the plaoentee meet in the axis, but only slightly cohere; finally they unite, but in fruit the valves of the capsule separate from the axis, to which the seeds remain attached. As to the affinities of Fouquiera, I am inclined to adopt the opinion of Lindley, that it is very near Polemoniaceffi, and particularly to Cantua. It differs, however, in its distinct imbricated sepals, (which are exactly those of convolvulus,) more numerous and hypogynous stamens; and very sparing albumen, as well as in habit. It is certainly very unlike Frankeniaceai, to which it is appended by Endlicher. Kunth placed it among genera allied to Portulacaccaj.
CONVOLVULACE^.
Ipomcea leptophylla, Torr. in Frem. 1st report, p. 94. Uppef part of the Arkansas and head waters of the Canadian. The stems are often erect, about two feet high, and  of a bushy appearance.