25 GLOBBA RADIGCALIS. 
purple colour, Jnner vertical, with both ends cloven, the 
lower deeply so, and greatly larger than the divisions of the 
exterior border; colour a deep orange-yellow, which forms 
a pretty contrast with the lively purple of every other part 
of the panicle. 
Filament very long, and very slender ; first day much incurved, 
after revolute; finely grooved on the underside for the 
reception of the style ; near the base two very long, slender, 
subulate, diverging, recurved wings. In the other species 
known to me these are wanting. <Anther, two-lobed, and 
enlarged at the sides with two, broad, reniform wings. 
Germ beneath, oval, with six longitudinal ridges ; a transverse 
section exhibits one cell only, with numerous seeds affixed 
to three parietal receptacles. Style very slender. Stigma 
funnel-shaped. 
Capsule globular, purple, size of a small cherry, six-ridged, one 
celled, three-valved, opening spontaneously from the apex. 
Receptacles: a longitudinal ridge on the inside of each valve. 
Seeds many, minute, oblong, villous ; connected by a large white 
spongy membrane to the parietal receptacles. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Found wild at Chittagong, by Mr. William Roxburgh, and by 
him introduced into the Botanic Garden at Calcutta in 1801, 
where it blossomed for the first time in May 1802, at which 
period the new foliage also begins to appear above ground. There 
is a constant succession of flowers, from the extremities of the 
lengthening branches of the panicle, for nearly two months. 
231. SCIRPUS TUBEROSUS. 
Culms round, jointed, leafless. Spoke terminal, cylindric ; scales 
oblong. Base of the style cordate. Seed obcordate, beset with 
glochidate bristles. 
Pi-tsi, Maa-tai, Pu-tsai, or Pe-tsi, or Water-chesnut of the 
Chinese. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root fibrous, with stoloniferous shoots, and round turnip-shaped 
tubers. 
Culms erect, naked, slightly twisted to the right, inwardly inter- 
cepted at every line, or line and a half, by a slender mem- 
brane ; every eight, or tenth of these partitions, is of a 
firmer texture, and visible on the outside, even when the 
plant is growing. 
Leaves none, except a slender short sheath or two at the base of 
each culm. 
Spike terminal, solitary, cylindric. 
Scales oblong, membranaceous-margined. 
Stamens three. 
Style two, or three-cleft, at the base swelled out into an ovate-cor- 
date, compressed shape. 
Seed obcordate, surrounded with glochidate bristles. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Tt is mentioned by Abbé Grosier, under the name of Pi-toi, 
and under the other appellations, was transmitted from Canton, 
SCIRPUS TUBEROSUS. 26 
by Mr. Duncan, at the desire of the Governor General in Council, 
for the Company’s Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where it blossoms 
about the close of the rains in September. 
For the economical uses of the tuberous roots of this plant, I 
beg leave to refer to Abbé Grosier, and other historians, who 
have had opportunities of observing in what manner they are 
employed by the Chinese ; and to the following extract from 
Mr. Duncan’s letter, which accompanied the plants. 
‘* Maa-tai; Pu-tsai; or Pi-tsi of Abbé Grosier; the water 
‘‘ chesnut ; grows in tanks: these are manured for its reception 
_‘* about the end of March. Thus, a tank being drained of its 
‘* water, small pits are dug in its bottom, these are filled with 
‘* human manure, and exposed to the sun for a fortnight ; their 
‘* contents are next intimately blended with the slimy bottom of 
‘* the tank, and the slips, or roots of the plant deposited therein ; 
‘* the water is now returned to the tank, and the new crop of 
‘« tubers comes to perfection by the first of September. 
‘* This nut is in high estimation among all ranks of Chinese, 
‘* not only as a pot-root, but also as a medicine. It is eat, either 
‘* boiled or raw. I will not vouch for the truth of the singular 
‘* virtues ascribed to the Maa-tai, but just relate one of the most 
‘‘ plausible. The children here often play with cash in their 
‘* mouths, which at times slip down into the stomach, and bring 
‘* on alarming symptoms: The nut is immediately given in quan- 
‘* tities, either raw or boiled, and they say it never fails to give 
‘* relief, and is always considered as specific; they allege it 
‘« decomposes the metal.” 
232. SACCHARUM SINENSE. 
Culms 6-15 feet. Leaves flat, with margins hisped. Panicles 
ovate, with simple and compound, verticelled, reclined branches. 
Corol of two valves on the same side. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT WHEN IN BLOSSOM. 
Stem erect, jointed, whole height from 10 to 15 feet; most part 
covered with the sheaths of the leaves; joints from four to 
eight inches long, and from two to three inches in circum- 
ference ; colour pale brownish yellow. 
Leaves sub-bifarious, tapering from the base, (ensiform) to a long 
fine point, plain, smooth on both sides, margins armed with 
numerous, small, very acute spines, pointing forward ; 
length from two to three feet, and about an inch and a half 
broad at the base. 
Sheaths smooth, with a small stipulary ring round the inside of 
the mouth. 
Panicle ovate, erect; branches simple and compound, subverti- 
celled, reclined, long and slender. In S. officinarum the 
branches of the panicle are scattered over the common 
raches, and are decompound, and super-decompound: on this 
I rest the most obvious specific difference, though the habit 
of the cane itself is also considerably different, independent 
of the additional small inner scale, or valve of the corol. 
Calyx and its surrounding wool, as in the genus. 
Gorol of two valves.on the same (anterior) side ; the inner one 
very small. 
