166 HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA- Polyanthes, 
radical, petioled, erect, lanceolate, plaited, entire, 
smooth on both sides, about one foot long. | Scapes so- 
litary, rising from the centre of the leaves, and about 
the same length ; lower half destitute of flowers and with . 
here and there a long, curved, pointed scale. Flowers nu- 
merous, collected in fascicles over the upper half of the 
raceme, short-pedicelled, small, deep green, inodorous» 
Bractes one, two, or three, to each fascicle of flowers 3 
ovate, pointed, concave. Petals six, nearly equal, 
cordate, expanding ina double series, inserted on the 
outside of the nectary. | Nectary.one-petalled, turbi- 
nate, quickly contracting into a small, hexangonal mouth 
through which the stigma, and part of the anthers are 
seen. Filaments scarcely any. Anthers six, sessile, dis- 
tinctly two-lobed, inserted round the inside of the mouth 
of the nectary. . Germ superior, ovate, somewhat three- 
lobed, three-celled, with two ovula in each, attached to 
the lower part of the axis, Style short. Stigma large, 
three-sided, rather within the mouth of the nectary. Ber- 
ries from one to three come to maturity, obovate, smooth, 
succulent, dark-bluish-olive colour, the size of a pea. 
Seeds solitary. 
The plant is elegant in its foliage, even when destitute 
of flowers, but much more so when in blossom. ‘The ve- 
ry uncommon deep green colour of the flowers, makes | it 
particularly interesting. : 
POLYANTHES. Schreb. gen. n. 576. 
Calyx none, Corol funnel-shaped, recurved, equal. 
Filaments inserted into the mouth of the tube, Germ in the 
bottom of the corol, 
P. tuberosa. Willd. 2.164. — 
Leaves linear, shorter than the scape, 
