Tas. 6150. 
ERYTHROTIS Beppomer. 
Native of Malabar. 
Nat. Ord. ComMMELYNEA. 
Genus Novum, Eryturotis, Hook. f. 
Cuar. Gen. Sepala 3, equalia, libera, Petala 8, equalia, libera, orbiculata, 
membranacea, obscure unguiculata. Stamina 6, omnia fertilia et 
wqualia, filamentis filiformibus supra medium longe barbatis; anthe- 
rarum loculis connectivum marginantibus, superne divergentibus. 
Ovarium 3-loculare ; stylus filiformis, glaberrimus, apice non incras- 
satus, stigmate punctiformi; ovula in loculis 2, superposita, superiore 
adscendente, inferiore pendulo. Capsula . . . .—Herba Malabarica, 
prostrata, villosa. Folia carnosula, disticha, subimbricata, ovato-cordata, 
acuta. Flores parvi, rubri, ad apices ramulorum breviter racemosi, 
pedicellis brevibus geminis unibracteatis. 
A singularly beautiful little plant, and one easy of cul tiva- 
tion, discovered by Col. Beddome, F.L.S., on dry bare rocks, 
at an elevation of 38-4000 feet, in the Myhendra mountains 
of South Travancor, from whence he sent seeds to Kew, 
where plants raised from which flowered in December last. 
It appears to me to be a new genus, closely allied to Cyanotis, 
but differing in its prostrate habit, inflorescence, the arrange- 
ment of the bracts, perfectly free sepals, and filiform style, 
without an inflation below the stigma. The filaments are 
quite those of Cyanotis; and it is remarkable that whilst 
the calyx and corolla are red, the beards of the filaments are 
bright blue (as in Cyanotis). The brilliant colouring of the 
under surface of the leaves is a very unusual character in 
the group of Commelynee, to which itis most allied. 
Erythrotis Beddomei is a stove plant, but well adapted for a 
warm conservatory during summer, when it may be trained 
over the pots and made very ornamental ; the colouring of 
the under surface of the leaves is however very variable, 
and pales much in winter. : 
Descr. Whole plant villous, with spreading hairs that turn 
brown in drying. Branches starting from a primary stout erect 
shoot with lanceolate large spreading leaves, three to six inches 
FEBRUARY Ist, 1875. 
