276 MR. J. G. BAKER ON THE 
floriferous in the upper half. Leaves sessile, alternate, 8-4 
below the inflorescence, linear, firm in texture, half a foot long, 
iin. broad, distinctly veined, tapering to the point. Flowers 
10-12 in a lax deltoid raceme 6-8 in. long, 4—6 in. broad ; lower 
pedicels 2-3 in. long; upper gradually shorter, each bracteated 
by a reduced leaf at the base. Flowers not seen. Fruit a coria- 
ceous brown oblong loculicidal capsule 4 in. long; seeds brown, 
semiorbicular, 8-10 in acell. Styles 3, falcate, persistent, subu- 
late, 4 lin. long.— Central Madagascar, Baron 778! 
WiISNEBIA FILIFOLIA, Hook. fil. Gen. Plant. iii. 1007. 
Aquatilis, foliis elongatis subulatis, pedunculo elongato, floribus in ra- 
cemum elongatum dispositis, bracteis in cupulam membranaceam connatis, 
pedicellis quam cupula longioribus, perianthii parvi segmentis exterioribus 
viridulis ovatis, interioribus petaloideis oblongis vel obovatis, genitalibus 
inclusis. 
A submerged perennial herb with the habit of an Zsoétes. 
Leaves in a dense tuft, subulate, flaccid, sometimes two or three 
feet long, tapering to a point, dilated into a clasping sheath at the 
base. Peduncle slender, as long as the leaves, bearing at the top 
the flowers in a long slender raceme, the males from the upper 
nodes and the females from the lower, which are 1-2 inches 
apart; flowers 2-3 to each node, which is sheathed by a trun- 
cate membranous collar 4 in. long formed of the connate bracts ; 
pedicels rather longer than the bracts. Female flowers with 3 
carpels ; and male flowers with 3 stamens. Perianth lin. long; 
3 outer segments ovate, greenish, persistent ; 3inner white, peta- 
loid, deciduous.  Fruit-carpels as long as the persistent perianth- 
segments.— Central Madagascar, on floating islands of mud in the 
lakes, Dr. Parker! Baron 571! A third species of this new 
genus of Alismacez, described by Micheli in the continuation of 
De Candolle’s * Prodromus,’ vol. iii. p. 82. The two other known 
species are one Indian, the other Central-African. 
Xypris capensis, Thunb. ? 
Perennis, glabra, dense czespitosa, foliis paucis rigidulis anguste linearibus, 
pedunculo elongato ancipiti, spica ovoideo-oblonga bracteis orbicularibus 
rigidulis castaneis, bracteolis dorsoalatis, perianthii fauce pilosa segmentis 
oblongis quam tubus cylindricus brevioribus, staminibus quam limbus bre- 
vioribus, starainodiis nullis, styli ramis elongatis subulatis apice stigmatosis. 
Perennial, densely cæspitose, with slender wiry root-fibres. 
Leaves distichous, the outer unproduced ones lanceolate, casta- 
