comparatively young, and its caudex short. With us, it 

 flowered during the whole of the summer and autumn months, 

 with a scape or peduncle infinitely shorter than the petioles, 

 though the character in the Hortus Kewensis gives it as the 

 " flower-stalk half the length of the leaf-stalk." Our in- 

 florescence is almost sessile, and so it was in the larger plant 

 which had been observed to blossom at Kew. 



Descr. Caudex eventually attaining a height of eighteen 

 feet, stout, six to eight inches in diameter, erect, marked with 

 the transverse scars of fallen leaves ; deep purple-color, pro- 

 liferous from the sides, bearing, at the summit, a crown of 

 distichous leaves, much resembling those of Urania or 

 Ravenala. Leaves ample, two to three feet long, oblong, 

 acute, cordate at the base, bright green, costate, and marked 

 with conspicuous, transverse, parallel veins. Petiole four to 

 six feet long, sheathing, and grooved at the base; upwards 

 laterally compressed. Peduncle from the axil of an inferior 

 leaf, short, bracteated ; bracteas lanceolate, brown, more or 

 less tinged with yellow, concavo-in volute. Spatha broadly 

 lanceolate, conduplieate, very acute, of a deep purple-color, 

 generally having drops of transparent fluid, which run down 

 from the flowers. Flowers several in each spatha, on short 

 purple stalks or pedicels. Their general structure is similar to 

 what is stated at Tab. 119 of the flowers of S. Begince, but 

 they are larger and altogether white ; and the two larger inner 

 sepals, which unite to form the so-called " nectary," have the 

 lobes short and obtuse. Stamens the same, white. Style 

 and stigma also white; the three branches of the latter 

 cohering into a subulate body. 



Tab. 4168. Fig. 1. Inner Sepals, including the Stamens and Pistil :— 



nat. size. 



