serrated, penninerved, beneath reticulated and the nerves pro- 
minent, below tapering very much, the base of the two opposite 
leaves unite and surround the stem, or, in other words, the leaves 
are decurrent upon the petiole so as to form a very broad wing 
to the extremely thickened rachis. In the axils of the leaves 
there appears on a short peduncle a pair of very large, vertical, 
nearly orbicular, concave, sharply, almost cuspidately acuminated, 
purple-green, reticulated dracteas, two inches across, at. first 
closed like the two valves of a shell, then partially expanded 
for the emission of the several flowers, within which they ex- 
pand, in succession, and are themselves bracteated with ovate 
or lanceolate acuminated and serrated dracteoles. Each flower, 
when fully open, is nearly as long as the external bracteas, and 
shortly pedicellate. Calyx a little shorter than the tube of the 
corolla, white below, red-purple above, and reticulated with 
white, deeply cut into five segments, of which four are lan- 
ceolate, serrated, finely acuminated, the fifth free to the very 
base, and bent down, as it were, below, by the prolongation of 
the spur, and this is subulate, very narrow. Corolla large, 
white, the tube dilated upwards, below on one side extended 
into a short, blunt sur; the limb spreading, of five nearly equal, 
entire, rounded segments or lobes. Stamens four, perfect, in- 
cluded within the tube of the corolla; filaments subulate, di- 
dynamous, curved over the pistil. Anther subglobose. Ovary 
ovate, slightly pubescent, with a large fleshy hypogynous gland 
on one side. Style thickened, a little curved. Stigma slightly 
dilated. 
ie 1. Flower :—nat. size. 2. Stamens and pistil. » 3. Pistil :—slightly mag- 
nified. 
