Tap. 6598, 
PIPTOSPATHA rnstents. 
Native of Borneo. 
° 
Nat. Ord. Arorpem.—Tribe Pa1nopENDRER. 
Genus Prptosparua, WN. E. Brown in Gard. Chron. 1879, vol. xi. p. 138.) 
PIPTOSPATHA insignis; pumila, acanlis, glaberrima, foliis anguste ’ elliptico- 
lanceolatis acuminatis in petiolum breviorem erectum angustatis coriaceis, 
costa valida, nervis paucis, petiolo basi dilatato breviter vaginante, squamis 
spathaceis membranaceis roseis denum_ brunneis, scapis robustis petiolis 
longioribus, spatha primum erecta denum horizontali v. nntante ellipsoidea 
rostrata, rostro recurvo, clausa crasse coriacea alba roseo-picta, spadice incluso 
crassiusculo sessili toto florifero, floribus basalibus paucis neutris, terminalibus 
3; intermediis 2, antheris subsessilibus connectivo crasso ultra loculos laterales 
oblongos in rostrum crassum producto, ovariis prismaticis 1-locularibus, stigmate 
sessili, placentis 2-3 parietalibus, ovulis erectis orthotropis, funiculo curve 
supra basin affixo. 
P. insignis, V. E. Br. 1. c. et Icon. pp. 138, 139, f. 20. 
Mr. N. E. Brown (Assistant in the Herbarium at Kew), 
who makes a special and very careful study of Aroids, has, 
I think, rightly referred this curious little plant’ to a new 
genus of the small Malayan group of Philodendrew, with 
the spathes circumsciss above the position of the ovaries, 
which includes Schismatoglottis ; though it hardly agrees 
with Engler’s character of a low-branched undershrub, 
which Engler attributes to the group, “ Suffrutices humiles 
ramosi.”’ The term suffrutex, or undershrub, is obviously 
here used in a different sense from the generally recognized 
one, of “woody” plants, for Schismatoglottis is clearly 
a herb, as is Piptospatha. 
Borneo, the native country of this plant, is eminently 
rich in Aroids, and their investigation would well reward 
the labours of a botanist who could devote a year to them 
in their native forests. Piptospatha was discovered by Mr. 
Burbidge when collecting for Messrs. Veitch in that island, 
and.the plant here figured was presented to the Royal 
Gardens by the latter firm. It flowered in July. 
DECEMBER lst, 1881. 
