MR. R. A. ROLFE ON THE APOSTASIEZ. 217 
produced, as already remarked, from an underground creeping 
rhizome. Thus it is probably herbaceous and of annual duration, 
dying down after maturing the seeds. 
Leaves.—The leaves differ somewhat in the two genera, but 
are remarkably uniform through the different species of each 
genus. In Neuwiedia the; are narrowly or broadly lanceolate, 
varying from half a foot to about two feet long ; few in number, 
suberect, and strongly plicate. In Apostasia they are narrowly 
lanceolate-linear, about half as long as in Neuwiedia, much more 
numerous, generally somewhat recurved, and less strongly plicate. 
Inflorescence.—In Neuwiedia the inflorescence is an erect, 
spike-like, many-flowered raceme, varying from about three or 
four inches to occasionally over a foot in length, as in N. Lindleyi. 
In Apostasia it consists of a more or less recurved, subsessile 
raceme, occasionally simple, but more frequently branched, and 
measuring from two to about four inches in length, or as much 
as six inches when in fruit. 
Bracts.—The bracts are lanceolate or subulate-linear, invariably 
acute ; much shorter than the ovary in Apostasia, generally longer 
in Neuwiedia, in which genus they gradually pass, at the base of 
the racemes, into the reduced leaves of the flowering-stem. 
Flowers.—The flowers are generally shortly pedicelled or subses- 
sile, in the axils of the bracts, and apparently always yellow ; very 
small in Apostasia (Pl. XLVIII. fig. 15), but larger in Neuwiedia 
(figs. 2, 3, and 10). The segments in Apostasia range from about 
lilines in the section Adactylus to about 24 lines in 4. Wal- 
lichii, or, aceording to Blume, a little larger still in .4. odorata, 
the other species of the section Mesodactylus. In Neuwiedia 
the same organs range from about 3 lines in N. Griffithüi (figs. 2 
to 6) to 6 lines in JN. Curtisii, or even 9 lines in N. Lindleyi 
(fig. 10). They are more or less widely spreading in Apostasia, 
but subconnivent in Neuwiedia (fig. 3). 
Ovary— The ovary in Neuwiedia (figs. 2, 3, and 13) is ovoid- 
oblong, tapering into the short pedicel, narrowed above, strongly 
triquetrous and gruoved down each face opposite the dissepiment, 
and from two lines long in N. Grifithii (figs. 2 and 3) to quite 
four lines in N. Lindleyi. In Apostasia (fig. 15) it is narrowly 
linear, less distinetly triquetrous, with more rounded angles, and 
measures from three to six lines long in the different species. In 
both genera it is trilocular, with three, polyspermous, axile pla- 
centas, running throughout the length of each cell. It is nearly 
