Urania. hexandria monogynia. 115 



of the leaves that have fallen off. Leaves cauline, bifa- 

 rious, alternate approximating;, petioled, erect when 

 they first appear, and in all directions from that to di- 

 verging when about to decay, like the ribs of a semicir- 

 cular fan, linear, oblong, nearly truncate at both ends, 

 very smooth on both sides, veins simple, diverging in a 

 waving line, length about six feet and the breadth from 

 two to three. Petioles about eight feet long, sheathing, a 

 deep groove runs along the upper edge, except for two or 

 three inches at the apex ; under side round, and smooth. 

 Spadix axillary, solitary, much shorter than the peti- 

 oles ; in our young trees many leaves intervene ; bifarious, 

 branches simple. Spaihes, common, three or four, alter- 

 nate, embracing the stalks of the spadix, which are most- 

 ly hid in the groove of the next petiole below. Partial 

 spathes about twelve, cuneiform, from twelve to twenty- 

 four inches long, the inferior being about twice the length 

 of the uppermost, each enclosing about ten flowers in 

 each side, every one of these flowers is also embraced by 

 its own proper spathe. Flowers large, white, sessile, al- 

 ternate in two rows on the upper side of the branches of 

 the spadix, before expansion, imbricated in a horizontal 

 line ; when expanded, erect, inodorous; while in blossom 

 the spathes are all completely filled with a super-abun- 

 dance of clear, gelatinous matter. Calyx no other than 

 the spathes already described. Coral six-petalled, three 

 inner and three outer, all nearly ensiform, straight, 

 and of a firm rigid texture, five of them are nearly equal 

 in size ; the sixth (one of the inner three) much small- 

 er, the other two of this series adhere lengthways 

 by their margins, overlapping each other, which may 

 have occasioned the corol to have been called five* 

 petalled, but their distinct insertions, and separation 

 both above and below, readily point to very distinct 

 petals. Stamina six, the length of the corol. Anthers 

 linear, slightly recurvate, twice as long as their thicker 



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