When the flowers firft come, they appear to grow from the 

 bofom of the radical leaves, but, as the ftalk lengthens, frefh 

 flowers are produced from the axils of the cauline leaves, as 

 is defcribed by Jacquin. A kind of thickening of the foot- 

 ltalk, fo as to form what are called bulbs, of an oval com- 

 preffed form, terminated with one or more leaves, is very 

 common in this genus, and occurs in this fpecies alfo, though 

 there were none to be obferved in the fpecimen from which 

 our drawing was made. By thefe knots or bulbs the plants 

 may be propagated. They probably ferve as refervoirs of the 

 juices, neceffary to preferve the life of the vegetable, during 

 the dry feafon. 



Native of the Ifland of Martinique, growing in moift 

 woods, efpecially on the banks of the torrents. 



