Tab. 7351. 

 lowia maxillaeioides. 



Native of the Malay Peninsula. 



Nat. Ord. Scitamine^:. — Tribe Lowie^e. 

 Genus Lowia (Scortech. in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. vol. xviii. p. 308, tab. 11.) 



Lowia niaxillarioides ; acaulis, rhizomate breviter repente, foliis distichis 

 longe petiolatis oblongis acutis, floribus in paniculam laxam radicalem 

 dispositis, bracteis binis, floribus per paria evolutis bractea interiori 

 longiori tubnloso, calycis tubo cylindrico, lobis 3 oblanceolatis asquali- 

 bus patulis atro-brunneis, petalis 2 superioribus minutis oblongis, inferiori 

 (labello) porrecto oblongo cuspidato basi cuneato, staminibus 5, filamentis 

 brevibus crassis, antheris linearibus apice emarginatis, styli ramis stig- 

 matosis brevibus, fructu oblongo acuto chartaceo, seminibus atro-brunneis 

 globosis. 



Protamomum niaxillarioides, Ridley in Trans. Linn. Soc. se r 2 Bot vol 

 iii. p. 383, tab. 66. ' ' 



The genus Loivia, which was named by Father Scorte- 

 chini after Sir Hugh Low, C.M.G., forms a very interest- 

 ing connecting link between the Gringers and the Bananas. 

 It has the habit and foliage of the former ; but five 

 stamens are developed instead of one, and I quite agree 

 with Mr. Ridley that it should be regarded as forming a 

 distinct tribe of the natural order Scitaminese. The ori- 

 ginal species, L. longiflora, Scortech., a native of Perak, has 

 linear calyx-lobes four inches long. A second species from 

 Borneo was described by Mr. N. E. Brown, in the Gar- 

 dener's Chronicle for 1886, under the name of Orchidantha 

 borneensis. I cannot separate Mr. Ridley's plant from 

 these generically. L. longiflora has a small appendage to 

 the anther ; but this is wanting in the Bornean species, as 

 well as in the present plant, and the general plan of 

 structure in all the three is identical. 



Since he took charge of the Botanical Gardens of 

 Singapore, Mr. Ridley has made several expeditions to the 

 east side of the Malay Peninsula, the botany of which was 

 before almost unknown. He has there discovered a large 

 number of novelties, a full account of which will be found 

 in the part of the " Transactions of the Linnean Society " 



Apkil 1st, 1894. 



