Tab. 7820. 

 CALATHEA crocata. 

 Native of Brazil. 



Nat. Ord. Scitamine.m. — Tribe Marakte^*. 

 Genus Calathea, G. F. W. Mey ; (Benlh. & ITook.f. Oeii. Plant, vol. iil. ]\ 653.) 



Calathea (Pseudophryniurn) crocata; pumila, c<B8pitosa, glaberrima, rliizo- 

 mate hynoga3o ramoho, foliis suhdistichia erectia longiuscule petiolatw 

 6-10 poll, longis ovato- v. oblongo-lanceolatis subacutis v. acnmirmtis 

 Bupra saturate viridibus subtua roseo-i^urpureis baai obtuais vel rotnmlatia, 

 petiolo lamina breviore fere ad apicem anguste vaginunte. vagina pallida 

 striata folii intinii interdum crocea, pedunculo foliis breviore valido 

 erecto luride viridi superne paullo incrassato, spica brevi ad 2i polL 

 longa et lata erecta, bracteis l-lj poll, longis quinquefariis ovato-lan- 

 ceoiatiH patenti-recurvis aurantiacis nitidis, spiculis |-g poll, longis, 

 2-3flori8, bra'!teolia lineari-oblongia floi-es ajqaantibu*', wepalis 3 lineari- 

 lanceolatis roseis, cor( lla3 aurantiacae tubo brevi aegmentia liaeari-oblongia 

 acumitiatis, staminodi'a 3 tubo corollEe adnatis bicallosis, callo niajore 

 laterali triangulari, fHamento petaloideo 2-partito, stylo crasao cdrvo 

 flavo, stigrnate iudusiato, ovario gloDoao 3 luculare loseo. 



C. crocata, E. Morr. et Joi-iss. in BeJg. Hortic. vol. xxv. (1875), p. lH, t. 8, 

 Floral World, 1876, p. 161. Gard. Ghron. 1900, Vol. ii. p. 113, fig. 29, 



The genus Calathea.^ of which only about sixty species 

 were known a quarter of a century ago, now numbers 

 nearly twice as many ; all, except a few tropical African, 

 are xVmerican, and are very difficult of determination from 

 Herbarium specimens. The excellent figure of G. crocata 

 in the Belgique Horticole alloAvs of no doubt as to the 

 name of the plant here under consideration, and the accom- 

 panying description given by the authors of its complicated 

 sexual organs is very complete. The species was intro- 

 duced from Brazil in 1874 by Messrs. Jacob Makoy of 

 Liege. The specimen here figured was purchased at an 

 auction sale for the lloyal Gardens, Kew. It flowered in 

 May, 1901. 



Descr. — Whole plant ten to twelve inches high. Roof' 

 stock short, branching. Leaves sub-distichous; petiole two 

 to three inches long, sheathing nearly throughout its 

 length, hardly auricled at the mouth of the sheatli, pale 

 green or purplish, that of the uppermost leaf bright 

 orange ; blade four to five inches long, erect, ovate-lan- 



Fkbruaey 1st, 1902. 



