Phrynium. monandria monogynia. 5 



form yellow margined hoods for the anther and stigma. 

 Filament inserted between two of the inner segments of the 

 corol, erect. Anther one-celled, ovate. Germ inferior, hairy, 

 base of three-celled, with one ovulum in each, attached to 

 the axis. Style growing to the short tube of the corol, above 

 free, and uncinate. Stigma funnel-form. Capsule oblong- 

 obovate, size of a field bean, rugose, when ripe pale yellow, 

 three-celled, three-valved. Partitions opposed. Seeds so- 

 litary, oblong ; a small lobate aril round the umbilicus at the 

 base of the seed. Integuments two ; exterior brown and glos- 

 sy, interior membranaceous. Perisperm conform to the seed, 

 and as in P. capitatum, &c. a brown substance runs up from 

 the base, into the arch of the embryo. Embryo simple, 

 hooked, with the convexity upwards. 



Obs. It is almost needless to observe that this plant has 

 no relation to that which furnished the Cardamom of Mala- 

 bar, viz. my Alpinia Cardamomum. 



3. P. spicatum. R. 



Stemless. Leaves radical, bifarious, oblong. Spikes ra- 

 dical, shorter than the petioles, subcylindric, bifariously im- 

 bricated. 



Plants of this small species, were sent by Mr. Felix Carey 

 from Pegu, to the Botanic garden at Calcutta, where they 

 blossom in April and May. 



Root perennial, flexuose, creeping horizontally deep in the 

 earth, thick as a ratan;/6res numerous from the main body, 

 and spread in all directions. Stem none, the sheathing pe- 

 tioles unite from six to twelve inches in extent, and resemble 

 one, as in the Curcumas. Leaves in little radical tufts, of 

 three or four each, sub-bifarious, petioled, linear-oblong; 

 base broad and rounded ; apex tapering, and sharp, both sur- 

 faces quite smooth; position nearly horizontal; six to ten 

 inches long, by two to three broad. Petioles, the most exte- 

 rior of the tuft sheathing, with their upper part round and 

 smooth, those in the centre (one or two) have no sheath, antl 



A3 



