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XI. On the Ambrosinia ciliata of Roxburgh. By the late William Griffith, 

 Esq., F.L.S. S^c. (Sfc. Communicated hy R. H. Solly, Esq., F.R.S., L.S. 



8sc. 8sc. 



Read November 4th, 1845. 



JylY attention was first directed to this extraordinary plant by Dr. Wallich 

 in the early part of last June (1835). I must however observe, that Dr. Wallich 

 was previously acquainted with many parts of its structure, and his artists 

 were at the above time engaged in making a drawing of the plant, in which 

 many of the points about to be described were represented. 



A slight examination was sufficient to convince me that this plant, although 

 referred to Ambrosinia by Roxburgh, did not at all agree with the characters 

 laid down as distinctive of the original genus of that name. Dr. Wallich, to 

 whom I had mentioned my belief that it constituted a new genus, very kindly 

 suggested the name of Myrioblastus, which name I had adopted in my original 

 manuscript. I have since however ascertained that Ambrosinia spiralis and 

 ciliata of Roxburgh have been separated from that genus by Fischer, and 

 together constitute his genus Cryptocoryne. To this Schott in the ' Melete- 

 mata Botanica' adds Caladium ovatum of Ventenat. Although the above 

 separation appears judicious, yet, as very little additional light is thrown 

 upon the plant in question, I have only to regret the inability to adopt a 

 very classical and appropriate name. 



Ord. Nat. AnoiDEiE. 



Class. Linn. Mon(ecia Monandria. 



Cryptocoryne, Fischer in Schott et Endlicher Meletemata Botanica, fasc. 1. 

 p. 6 (charactere incompleto). 



Char. Gen. Spatha tubo brevi ad apicem diaphragmate (septo) obliquo semipartito, limbo 

 elongate. Spadix basin versus ovariis cincta, medio filiformis nuda, supra antherifera, 

 apice conico nudo calloso septo pilei instar tecto. Anthera biloculares, transverse de- 



