

of the front seginent of ttie kmter Umb, and consequently 

 opposite to the labeU Filament commonly broad and re- 

 sembling a petal, often extended beyond the anther by an 

 appendage, which is sometimes entire, sometimes 3-lobed. 

 Anther fixed to the front of the filament, with two separate 

 parallel bilocnlar lobes that bui-st along theiif axis, where 

 their inflected edges are inserted into a partition that filially 

 disappears: each lobe frequently stands apart at tlie base 

 from the filament, and sometimes ends in a spur. Rudi- 

 mentary corpuscles (suppressed stamens) two, diminutive, 

 cylindrical, standing on each side the base of the style (or in 

 Costirs ascending to its summit : see our obs, in Jolt, 665 

 and^HZ. vol. 8), sometimes united, seldom entirely want- 

 ing. Germen 3-celled with many-seeded cells, sometimes 

 separated by imperfect partitions. Ovules attached along 

 the inner corner of the cejls in a double row. Style filiform, 

 ascending the groove in the filament. Stigma widened 

 crossways, hollow. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valred, many-seed- 

 ed, Sdmetitnes tdth a thi<% fleshy riild like a berry : parii- 

 Hoii usually central^ ip^rted along the axis of the valves, 

 from which in many xiases they differ in substance and are 

 finally detached. Seeds rdundish, in m^t instances pressed 

 by one another into an angular shape; with or without an 

 arillus, Albumen of a mealy substance, rayed through6ut 

 and falling short at the umbilicus, yitellus fleshy, in- 

 clining to funnelform, placed at the point opposite to the 

 umbilicus, generally (if not constantly) perforated at the 

 bottom for the passage of the radicle. ^Snhryo one-cotyle- 

 doned, somewhat cylindncal, sheathed by the vitellus, to 

 Which however it does not adhere. Radicle reaching al- 

 most Xo the umbilical point, commonly naked, being en- 

 closed neither within the vitellus nor the albumen. 



The ordet is composed of pereauial herbaceoas pluiis, belonging prio- 

 cipatly to tropical cotintries, and seldom extending thems^re? so far as t)ie 

 34th degree of latitude. Stem simple, and sometimes very sliort Leaves 

 simple, with a single nerre and numerous acute angular quite simple thickset 

 veins. Petio/e a sheath, sometimes split down one side, at the other tengdi- 

 ened in Ae form of a l^la (an i^endage peculiar to the Grasset), or 

 sometimes not; in some cases there is no fissure, and this sheath extends 

 beyond the insertion of the leafstalk in the form of an ocrea (or gMteidike 

 appendage. JnfioritceMe at times a close spike, at odi6rs a bonch or rt- 

 ceme, seldom inclining to Uie nature of a panicle, frequeetiy terminates flie 

 stem or scape, rarely issues from ^e side. Otneral bratitr. eitfier p«ina^ 

 nent or caducous : partial ones spaUiaceous obconically convoUite, in most 

 instances two-fiowered, one flower opening before the "otiier,'whiclrrften 

 miscarries. 



Hie essential characteristics df this jlatnral groiu n^y b« MfaniBed «ik>i& 

 *' the twofold floral envelope (double perianth), soutary stf^enj a^d seed 

 wiU» a vitellus." 



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