Albumen horny white—Herbaceous erect plants. 
Stems simple, leaves sheathing at the base, entire. 
Inflorescence panieled, terminal: flowers solitary, or 
two or three aggregated in a short sheathing bract, 
pedicelled ; filaments beardless. 
This genus approaches Aclisia and Commelyna in 
the position of its stamens, the middle fertile one 
being opposite the odd petal, and differs from Ánei- 
lema in which all the fertile stamens are opposite the 
calycine lobes of the perianth. 
2069. DicTYosPERMUM MONTANUM (R. W., Anei- 
lema montana, R. W., in Wall. List), erect: leaves 
longish petioled, lanceolate, acuminate, round, glabrous 
except on the margins; sheaths pubescent, truncated : 
panicle lax, terminal; branches slender, bearing a 
few flowers on the extremities: petals somewhat 
larger than the sepals: petaline stamen modified, 
filament longer and cells of the anther somewhat di- 
varicated : styles simple, stigma capitate, capsule glo- 
bose, smooth, shining, papery, fragile: seed corru- 
gately reticulate on the back. 
Courtallum, Neilgherries, Eastern slopes, in damp 
shady woods and on the banks of streams. 
The Neilgherry plant differs slightly, the leaves 
are less waved, broader in the middle in proportion 
to their length, and shorter petioled, but in other res- 
pects both correspond. 
2070. DicrvosPERMUM OVALIFOLIUM (R. W.), 
erect: leaves sheathing, short petioled, oval, acumi- 
nate, acute, nerved ; shortly pubescent on both sides : 
panicles terminal, sessile, compact, many-flowered : 
flowers short pedicelled, at length drooping : sepals 
and petals about equal, orbieular: filament of the 
petaline stamen longer than the others, at length 
spirally convolute: anthers all similar: style short, 
stigma simple: capsule obsoletely 3-angled, smooth, 
shining, brittle: seed oblong, reticulate on the back. 
Neilgherries, Western slopes. "This species turns 
black in drying. 
2071. DicrrYosPeERMUM PROTENSUM (R. W. Anei- 
lema protensa, Wall. List, 5218), erect, pubescent : 
leaves vaginate, sessile, lanceolate, acuminate ; sheaths 
loose, subtruncted, ciliate and like the upper surface of 
the leaves sprinkled with bristly hairs: panicles axil- 
lary and terminal, long peduncled ; branches sub-um- 
bellato-racemose : flowers pedicelled, 2 or 3 aggregat- 
ed in the axils of cucullate bracts: sepals and petals 
about equal, shorter than the stamens ; filaments slen- 
der filiform: anther of the petaline stamen larger : 
two sterile stamens: style filiform, stigma capitate : 
capsule pedicelled, hispid, unequal-sided. 
Courtallum, Ceylon, Nepaul. 
This is a widely distributed species. I have now 
specimens from Nepaul, Courtallum, and Ceylon, and 
I think I once met with it on the Neilgherries, but 
very sparingly and scarcely in flower. 
In naming the drawing, I had an opportunity of 
comparing my own with Nepaul specimens, received 
from Dr. Wallich, which perfectly correspond with 
the Peninsular ones. 
2072. ANEILEMA LATIFOLIUM (R. W.), erect, glab- 
rous: leaves sessile, broad ovate, cordate, stem elasp- 
ing, acute, netted beneath, when dry, with brown 
veins; sheaths short, glabrous: panicles terminal, ra- 
ther diffuse : bracts minute, exterior perianth (sepals) 
lanceolate acute ; interior (petals), obovate or subor- 
bicular: filaments all bearded : capsule 3-celled with 
several, 3-4, seed in each: seed angular, smooth, de- 
pressed above. 
Western slopes, Neilgherries. 
A very distinct and handsome species, which does 
not seem liable to be confounded with any of the 
others. Leaves about 6 inches long, by 2 broad, 
capsule coriaceous, glistening, whitish, scarcely ex- 
ceeding the persistent sepal. ; 
2073. ÅNEILEMA SCAPIFLORA (R. W., Commelyna 
scapiflora, Roxb., An. tuberosa? Ham., Wall. List, 
Murdania scapiflora ? Royle), perennial, glabrous: 
leaves all radical, sheathing at the base, ensiform, 
somewhat waved on the margin : scapes panicled, re- 
motely jointed, furnished at the joints with a some- 
what scariose sheath, branchlets of the panicle spring- 
ing from the axil of a short pointed sheath, 6-10-flow- 
ered : flowers pedicelled, bracteate: sepals lanceolate 
acute, petiols broad obovate or sub-orbicular : stamens 
6, three fertile; lobes of the sterile anthers globose, 
divaricating; all the filaments bearded: capsule ob- 
long, 3-celled ; cells 4-seeded : seed angular, smooth. 
Courtallum, flowering September. 
My drawing is taken from a dried specimen with 
fruit, generally, nearly mature and does not therefore 
give a good idea of the flowering plant. Neither 
Roxburgh nor Royle mentions the fruit, though the 
latter constitutes this a new genus. Royle's figure 
does not much resemble mine, but the difference seems 
to depend on his being younger and a less luxuriant 
form. The open flower of my drawing is taken from 
an unopened one, and may nof represent the correct 
proportions of the parts as seen in naturally opened 
ones, but if they do represent the correct proportions, 
it seems to me this can scarcely be Roxburgh's plant, 
as he distinctly mentions the petals being longer than 
the calyx. The inflorescence too seems different, that 
of mine being properly a panicle, while he calls his a 
raceme, but describes it as having “ branchlets," thus 
showing that it has the elements of a panicle, only 
wanting luxuriance to develope it, as shown in my 
plant. 
2074. ANEILEMA ENSIFOLIA (R. W.), perennial ° 
erect, ramous, glabrous, jointed: leaves very long, 
narrow, sword-shaped, slightly sheathing and stem- 
clasping at the base (12-19 inches long, 3 to 1 broad): 
primary branches of the panicle (3-4) umbellate, 
branched: branches secundly racemose towards the ex - 
tremities: flowers fascicled, 3-4 together in the axil 
ofa large obovate caducous braet, opening in suc- 
cession: sepals ovate somewhat boat-shaped : petals 
broad obovate or sub-orbicular, filaments all bearded : 
sterile anthers auricled ; capsule ovoid, 3-celled, with 
3 rough angular seeds in each. 
Courtallam, Ceylon. 
The roots, judging from one of my specimens, are 
thiek and succulent, apparently perennial The 
stems seem to rise to the height of 4 or 5 feet, the 
whole plant glabrous. The umbellate inflorescence 
added to the caducous tendency of the flowers, leav- 
ing a long line of prominent scars along one side of 
the floriferous branches, form a peculiar and striking 
feature which I have only met with in one other spe- 
cies. See next plate. 
( 30 ) 
