princeps, a raore robust plant than typical P. violacea, also 
with greenish flowers, are suspected by Mr. Ridley to be 
distinct from P. violacea. The third variety, recognised by 
Mr. Baker as var. Clarkei, which extends from the Khasia 
Hills in Assam southwards to the Malay Peninsula, and 
which is here figured, is believed by Mr. Ridley (Materials 
for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula, pars 11. p. 89) to be 
the plant intended by Mr. Baker as P. violacea proper. 
This is not, however, the case, for while it is possible that 
Dr. Wallich did not consider these two forms, which hardly 
differ in morphological characters, to be distinct, the name 
P. violacea is restricted by Mr. Baker to the form with 
deep violet perianth; the form with dark-purple perianth 
here figured is kept apart by Mr. Baker as var. Clarkei. 
The plant now depicted was presented to Kew by Mr. 
Ridley in 1904; it had been obtained by him in Perak. 
It flowers annually in a tropical house, usually in April, 
and is one of the most attractive of the species of Pelio- 
santhes cultivated at Kew. : 
Descriprion.—Herb, rootstock short. Leaves oblong- 
lanceolate, acuminate, reaching 1| ft. in length, 24 in. wide, 
quite glabrous, margins caret ginous, slightly crenulate ; 
main nerves about 20; transverse veins numerous, con- 
spicuous; petiole 5-12 in. long; basilar-sheaths membra- 
nous, brown. acemes about 6 in. long; flowers solitary, 
dark purple; bracts oblong, acuminate, longer than the 
pedicels. Perianth rather wide campanulate, 5 lin. across; 
tube 6-channelled; lobes oblong, rounded at the tips. 
Anthers ovate, their bases 2-lobed. Ovary conoid; style 
columnar, 3-sulcate. 
Fig. 1, a flower, three of the perianth-segments removed; 2, three of ‘the 
stamens, and pistil; 3, anther; 4, section of ovary :—all enlarged. 
