and our plant, when five feet high, in the summer of 1847, blossomed in great perfection.
Descr. A shrub, everywhere covered with a glaucous-white, pulverulent substance; young branches four-sided. Leaves numerous, opposite, large, three to four inches long, elliptical-ovate or cordate, sessile and half embracing the stem, coriaceous, acuminulate, margined, penninerved, the nerves very patent, rather crowded, parallel. Flowers axillary, solitary, nearly sessile. Calyx-tube subhemispherical, but tapering: the free portion united into a hemispherical acuminate lid, which separates transversely from the very thick tube. Stamens exceedingly numerous. Filaments long, subulate, rich deep red; the central ones spreading. Anthers yellow. Style subulate. Fruit (see Ic. Pl. f. 407) very large, orbicular, a depressed hemisphere, very woody, opening in the middle by four to five valves.
Fig. 1. Calyx-tube adherent with the ovary. 2. Operculum:–natural size.
