Bassii, is very limited ; Parlatore gives Sicily and Calabria 

 on grassy hills, Sardinia, the Isles of Lampedusa and 

 Linosa, to which is added Algeria, where it is probably 

 not uncommon, as we have seen dried specimens from 

 various sources. 



Descr. Roots of stout fibres from an oblong tuberous 

 subterranean rhizome the size of a nut, which is white and 

 floury within. Leaves two to three from the rhizome, 

 long-petioled, two to three inches long, membranous, 

 oblong, rounded at both ends, emarginate, pale-green, 

 with a midrib, and few very oblique almost longitudinal 

 nerves, connected by reticulate venation; base sometimes 

 cordate; margin quite entire and even or beautifully 

 crisped; petiole one to two inches long. Spathe three 

 quarters of an inch long, on a short decurved peduncle, 

 broadly ovoid, convolute and closed except for an ovoid 

 opening towards the top, suddenly contracted into a stout 

 filiform recurved brown tail as long as the bud, green 

 mottled with lurid purple within and without. Spadix 

 entirely included, adnate to the posterior inner surface of 

 the spathe, and one third shorter than it, flattened trans- 

 versely and stretching across the cavity of the spathe, thus 

 dividing the latter two-thirds of its (the cavity) length into 

 an upper and lower chamber ; tip of spadix truncate, with 

 a recurved median purple subulate appendage, that points 

 downwards in the lower chamber ; upper surface studded 

 with elongate papillee, lower antheriferous. Ovary 

 solitary in the base of the spathe at the insertion of the 

 spadix, globose or flagon-shaped, one-cellled; style short, 

 stout, decurved, stigma peltate ; ovules numerous on a free 

 central tumid placenta, straight, narrow, orthotropous, with 

 thick erect funicles ; apex truncate. Anthers eight to ten, in 

 two rows along the mesial line of the spadix, 2 -celled, (or 

 sixteen to twenty, and one-celled) yellow, sessile ; cells 

 divaricating. — J. D. H. 



Fig. 1, Plant of nat. size ; 2, longitudinal section of spathe and spadix ; 3, 

 dorsal view of spathe cut open, so as to show the antheriferous under surface of 

 the spadix ; 4, vertical section of ovary, base of spathe, and tip of peduncle ; 5, 

 ovule : — all enlarged. 



