Tab. 6969. 

 HELICOPHYLLUM Alberti. 



Native of Bokhara. 



Nat. Ord. Aboide.e. — Tribe Arise*. 

 Genus Helicophyllum, Schott ; (Benth. et HooJc.f. Gen. PL vol. iii. p. 968.) 



Helicophyllum Alberti ; foliis longe petiolatis hastatis undulatis lobo postico 

 triangulari-lanceolato lateralibus patentibus obtusiusculis, anticis 2 postieo 

 paullo brevioribus erectis angustis uno latere infra medium processu corni- 

 fbrme instructis, petiolo crassiusculo canaliculate, spatha? breviter orasse 

 pedunculatse intus leevis tubo cylindraceo viridi lamina oblonga acuminata 

 intus atro-purpurea dimidio breviore, spadice gracili, inflorescentia mascula 

 brevi femineaa subsequilonga, interstitio pistillodiis pugioniformibus laxe obsita, 

 appendice gracile cylindracea atro-violacea, ovario 2-4-ovulato. 



H. Alberti, Hegel, Descript. Plant. Nov. fasc. ix. (1884), p. 43, t. ix. 



Helicophyllum is a small genus of Oriental Aroids, natives 

 of Eastern Siberia, Asia Minor, Syria, and Persia, of which 

 three species are described in Engler's Monograph of the 

 Aracece, published in 1879, and a few others have been 

 found since, including the subject of this plate, which, 

 coming from Eastern Bokhara, extends the previously known 

 geographical area of the genus considerably to the eastward. 

 It further modifies the generic character from our specimens 

 having four ovules, whereas its congeners are described as 

 having but two ovules, and they are so figured in the 

 drawing of H. Alberti from native specimens given by Regel. 



A very similar species to H. Alberti has been brought 

 by Dr. Aitchison, F.R.S., from North -Western Afghanistan, 

 but in it both the lateral and anticous lobes of the leaf are 

 wanting. 



The tubers of H. Alberti were sent from the Imperial 

 Garden of St. Petersburg in 1884, and flowered in May of 

 the present year in a sunny border of the Herbaceous 

 ground ; the inflorescence was offensively fetid. The 

 species 'is named after the intrepid explorer of Central 

 Asia Dr. Albert Regel, the accomplished son of Dr. de 

 Be^el, the Director of the Imperial Botanical Garden of 

 St. Petersburg. 



dec. 1st, 1887. 



