Tab. 5705. 



COCHLIOSTEMA Jacobianum. 



General Jacobis Cochliostema. 



Nat. Ord. CoMMELYNB/E.— MoNADELPHIA TeIANDKIA. 



Gen. Char. Sepala 3, oblonga, obtusa, concava. Petala 3, subjrqualin, 

 sepahs latiora, fimbriata. Staminodia 3, villosa ; 2 erecta, linearia; tertia 

 abbreviate, plumosa. Golumna staminea cucullata, marginibus involutis, 

 autheras 3 spiraliter tortas includens; antherce 2 erectse parallels?, tertia 

 inferior, transversa. Ovarium 3-loculare, obliquum ; stylus ascendens, fili- 

 formis, stigmate simpliciusculo ; ovula uumerosa, 2-seriata. Fructus igno- 

 tus. — Herbae acaules,foliosa, America tropicce incolce. Folia basi vaginan- 

 tia, oblongo-lanceolata. Flores in paniculas axittares dispoxiti, fuqaces. — 

 Cochliostema, Lemaire in Illust. Sortie, t. 217. 



Cochliostema Jacobianum; glaberrimum, tbliis 3-4-pedalibus oblongo- 

 lanceolatis acuminatis basi angustatis utriuque viridibus margiuibus 

 brunneis, paniculis amplis axillaribus foliis brevioribus ramia opposi- 

 tis et vertieillatis, bracteis amplis albis et pallide purpurea, sepalis 

 anguste oblongis obtusis roseo-purpureis, petalis obovatis fimbriato- 

 ciliatis ca?ruleis. 



Cociiltostema Jacobianum. K. Koch et Linden, Wochenschrift, 1867, p. 

 322. Andre, Revue Horticole, 1SG8,jo. 71. Masters in Gard. Chro/i. 

 1868, p. 264 (cum ic. xylog., et 323, anal.). 



This superb plant certainly ranks amongst the grandest 

 stemless Monocotyledons known, combining the foliage of a 

 gigantic Anthunum with masses of inflorescence which, for 

 size, delicacy, and beauty of tints, cannot well be surpa 

 Nor in a botanical point of view is this plant less note- 

 worthy, the structure and arrangement of the anthers of 

 the genus Cochliostema being most curious, and for an ex- 

 cellent account of which T would refer to Dr. Masters's 

 papers, above quoted. It is there assumed that the apparent 

 number of stamens and staminodes is six, but the normal 

 number nine. Of these nine the three outer are represented 

 by two blue staminodes, and a third staminode reduced to a 

 tuft of yellow hairs; whilst the other six consist of two 

 broken series of three each, the intermediate series being 

 represented by the two upright spiral anthers within the 

 mat 1st, 1868. 



