166 HEXANDRiA MONOGYNiA. PolyantJies, 



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. 

 Bract es one, two, or three, to each fascicle of flowers ; 

 ovate, pointed, concave. Petals six, nearly equal, 

 cordate, expanding in a 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 orj^/a 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. 'Ihe 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. 



