6 MONANDRIA MONOGVNIA. PllVf/nium. 



are from apex to base round and smooth ; general length of 

 the whole from six to twelve inches, which is nearly the height 

 of the whole plant, the position of the leaves being nearly 

 horizontal. Spikes solitary in the centre of the petioles, or 

 lateral from their base, short ped uncled, sub-cylindric, acute, 

 apex elevated but little above the soil, imbricated on oppo- 

 site sides, with four to eight, alternate, bifarious bractes, or 

 sheaths; each embraces a small spikelet of four or five pairs 

 of sessile, small, nearly white flowers on the back, or inte- 

 rior side of the spikelet, which expand in succession, begin- 

 ning with the lower pair. Rachis flexuose, smooth. Bractes; 

 exterior, or common, one at each joint of the spike, sub-cy- 

 lindric, sheathing, smooth, and rather obtuse ; interior, or pro- 

 per one to each pair of flowers. Calyx three-leaved ; leaflets 

 lanceolate, smooth. Corol with a long, very slender, smooth 

 tube. Border ; exterior of three reflexed, oblong, obtuse seg- 

 ments ; within these are two larger, round-obovate, erect, curl- 

 ed portions; interior, or nect avium small, and like the other 

 species unequally three-lobed. Anther one-celled, attached 

 to the inner border of the corol. Germ inferior, three-celled, 

 with one ovuluin in each, attached to the bottom of the cell. 

 Style blended with the tube of the corol, as in the other spe- 

 cies described by me. Stigma uncinate, thick, and fleshy. 

 Seed vessel (not seen.) 



4. P. imbricatiim. R. 



Stemless. Leaves radical. Spikes simple, petiolar, soli- 

 tary, short-peduncled ; bractes imbricated, truncate, many- 

 toothed. 



Pittuli-yata, the vernacular name in Chittagong, where it 

 is common in its wild state. Flowers in March and April 

 and the seeds ripen in August. 



Root tuberous, &c. as in other scitamineous plants. Stem 

 none. Leaves radieal, long-petioled, from oblong, to broad 

 lanceolar, tapering nearly as much at the base as at the apex, 

 smooth, entire, finely acuminate ; twelve to twenty-four inches 



