Tas. 4475. 
HELICONIA ancustiFro.tia. 
Narrow-leaved Heliconia. 
Nat. Ord. Musacem.—PrEntTANDRIA MoNoGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Perigonii epigyni foliola exteriora equalia, basi inter se coneres- 
centia, interiora lateralia subconformia, approximata, genitalia amplectentia, 
posticum nanum. Stamina 5, sexto postico abortiente, basi perigonii adnata. 
Ovarium inferum, triloculare. Ovuda in loculis solitaria, e basi axeos adscendentia, 
anatropa. Stylus filiformis ; stigma depressiusculum, obsolete sexlobum. Cap- 
sula subdrupacea, tricocea ; coccis osseis, indehiscentibus. Semina in coccis soli- 
taria, obovato-subglobosa, basifixa, testa ab endocarpio vix solubili. Embryo 
orthotropus, linearis, in axi albuminis farinaceo-carnosi, extremitate radiculari 
umbilicum attingente, infera——Herbee Americane tropice ; foliis longe petiolatis, 
petiolis basi vaginantibus, scapum radicalem sepe velantibus, spathis pluribus dis- 
lichis, in axilla floriferis. Endl. 
HEticonta angustifolia; foliis lingulato-oblongis angustis utrinque acuminatis, 
costa subtus vaginis petiolisque valde elongatis pulverulento-pubescentibus, 
rachi flexuosa, spathis (6-7) multifloris ‘lanceolatis acuminatis complicatis, 
spathellis lanceolatis, sepalis (albis) lineari-oblongis acutis erectis, sepalo 
nano trulliformi. 
A very handsome and rather dwarf species of Heliconia, in- 
troduced by Mr. Henry Shepherd, to the Liverpool Botanical 
Gardens, from Brazil. It flowered in January 1846, when its 
beautiful bright red spathas, deep orange-coloured ovaries and 
white sepals tipped with green had a very handsome effect. 
No described species corresponds with it, and, thanks to Dr. 
Walpers, all the recently published ones are included in his 
“ Annales Botanices Systematice.”’ 
Descr. I have not seen the entire growing plant. The gga 
stem sent to me was sheathed by the bases of the long petioles, an 
the principal /eaf was a foot and a half long and about ae 
inches wide, ligulato-oblong, with a stout costa and se 
oblique zerves, acuminated at both ends, glabrous, except t ns 
the costa beneath, as well as the very long, terete eiage ie 
cylindrical sheaths (at least in their upper part), were “ e 
with a scattered pulverulent or scurfy down. pot eaf is 
NOVEMBER lst, 1849. 
