but we are compelled to bring a host of other synonyms into 
the page, which we think all justly belong to this plant, and we 
are doubtful if we should not also include Dracena surculosa, 
Lindl. Bot. Reg. t. 1169, and D. ovata, Ker, Bot. Mag. t. 1170 
(one and the same plant) ; but the raceme is there simple and co- 
rymbose, and the locality Sierra Leone. They are evidently nearly 
allied species. The synonyms here adduced have been well con- 
sidered. There can be little doubt of Rumphius’s figure repre- 
senting our plant, although the flowers are shorter and the pe- 
tioles longer than in the majority of our specimens. Thunberg’s 
characters (plant from Ceylon and Java) quite agree with our 
species, and we have pretty good authority in our own herbarium 
for Roxburgh’s supposed species, besides his descriptions. The 
presence or absence of certain abortive leaves, common on the 
young shoots, passing into bracts at the base of the panicles, 
have probably misled authors; but it is a species of marked 
character. It seems to abound in the Malay Archipelago, Am- 
boyna (Rumphius). We possess the species in our herbarium 
from Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Borneo (Lobb), Silhet, Bombay 
(Mr. Law and Mr. Dalzell). In our stove it blossoms in March. 
Our dried specimens do not exhibit the spots on the leaves. 
Drscr. Stem fruticose, 2-3 feet or more high, terete, and, 
as well as the lax branches, marked or ringed with the scars of 
fallen leaves. Zeaves mostly confined to the upper extremity of 
the branches ; young ones often clothed with scales or abortive 
leaves, which are broad at the base and thence subulate, or bear- 
ing an Imperfect lamina ; perfect leaves varying from 3 to 4 inches 
to a span long, generally spreading, petiolate, coriaceo-membra- 
naceous, elliptical-lanceolate, glossy, acute and mucronate, closely 
marked with parallel longitudinal lines or striz, full green; in 
8 spotted or blotched with yellow. Petiole 3 inch to 2—3 inches 
long, grooved, dilated, and amplexicaul at the base. Panicle 
terminal, rarely lateral, branched to the very base, and there 
often bracteated or leafy; dranches spreading, strict, bearing 
racemes of pale, yellow-green flowers, which are rarely solitary, 
mostly in pedicellate fascicles of threes, each fascicle subtended 
by a small subulate dracteole. Perianth varying in size from 
half an inch to an inch long ; tube half as long as the limb, in- 
flated below 3 segments of the limb spreading, linear ; stamens as 
long as the limb. Ovary oval. Style flexuose, as long as the sta- 
mens. Stigma capitate, three-lobed in the centre. Berries the 
size of large peas, three-sceded, or by abortion two- or one-seeded. 
Fig. 1. Flower. 2. Pistil :—magnified. 
