Tritonia IRIDACEAE-MUSACEAE Musa 



lvs. mostly at the base: infl, brg.; the fls. sessile in short spathes; perianth tube 

 narrow below, dilated above; segments nearly equal; stamens inserted on the perianth 

 at the base of the funnel; style brs. simple: fr. an oblong or obovate membranous 

 loculicidal capsule. 50 species in South Africa; one cultivated in China. (Greek: 

 Triton, name of a sea demigod.) 



1. Tritonia crocosmaeflora Lemoine (B.M. 284). Cormose, to 6dm. high; fls. orange- 

 crimson, VII. Introduced hybrid-France; locally in Che., Ku. Planted, ornamental. 



5. Freesia Klatt HHHM (Hsiang Hsiieh Lan Shu) 

 Erect cormose herbs with narrow flat lvs. mostly at the base of the brg. stem: 

 fig. spikes bent at right angles; the fls. very fragrant, all on the upper side of the 

 axis: perianth tubular or funnel-shaped, with a slender tube which expands abruptly, 

 somewhat unequally cleft; stamens about equaling the tube; style brs. bifid: fr. a 

 small loculicidal capsule. 4 or 5 species, in South Africa; 2 cultivated in China. 

 (After Elias Magnus Fries, 1794-1878, Swedish botanist.) 



Key to the Species 



Perianth segments bordered with rose -purple 1 . F. armstrongii 



Perianth segments yellow or white 2. F. refracta 



1. Freesia armstrongii W. Wats. (B.M. 281). Cormose, to 3 dm. high; fls. white, 

 orange base, purple border, IV; perianth about 4 cm. long. Introduced from 

 South Africa; locally in Ku. Planted, ornamental. 



2. Freesia refracta Klatt HSf]f (Hsiang Hsiieh Lan; Fragrant-snow-orchid) (B.M. 

 281). Cormose, to 3 dm. high; fls. yellow or white, IV; perianth about 3 cm. 

 long. Introduced from South Africa; locally in Ku. Planted, ornamental. Fig. 

 495. 



192. MUSACEAE Banana Family CT^f (Pa Chiao K'o) 

 Tree-like perennial herbs, the "trunk" formed of fleshy overlapping If. sheaths: 

 lvs. very large, entire, pinnately nerved, parallel- veined; blades ovate, lanceolate or 

 oblong: infl. spicate or paniculate, bracteate, subtended by heavy spathes; fls. bisexual 

 or monoecious; perianth of 3 sepals and 3 petals; parts sometimes more or less united, 

 very irregular; stamens 6, 1 sterile; ovary inferior, 3-celled: fr. a berry or capsule. 

 6 genera with about 100 species, in tropical regions; one genus and 7 species in China. 



1. Musa Linn. ^MM (Pa Chiao Shu; Fragrant Plantain Genus) 

 Very large tree-like herbs, with large spirally arranged lvs., the clasping bases 

 of which form the "trunk": If. blades oblong, with prominent midrib: infl. in an 

 erect or recurved terminal bracteate spike; the lower fls. pistillate; the upper ones 

 staminate; calyx slit down one side to the base; corolla a single often 3-lobed 

 petal-like limb; filaments stout; anthers linear, 2-celled: ovules many; seeds wanting 

 in many cultivated forms. 50 or more species, in tropical regions; 7 in China. 

 (Named after Antonio Musa, physician to Octavius Augustus, first emperor of Rome, 

 63-14 B.C.) 



1. Musa uranoscopos Lour. (M. coccinea Andr.) (Mak.F. 710). Perennial herb; fls. 

 VI-VII; infl. with showy red bracts. Southeastern Asia; locally in Ku. Planted, 

 ornamental, 



528 



