AROIDE-E. PAXDAXE^E. 133 



AcilUUS, LilDUCUS. 



Flowers lu'rnuiplirodito, in a cylindrical spike, the spatlic Hnoar and continuous 

 ■with the scape. Perianth of 6 concave scales or segments. Stamens 6, opposite the 

 segments. Filaments linear, tlut. Anthers terminal. Ocarij 3-celled, %\ith several 

 ovules in each cell. Stigma sessile on the obtuse top. Seeds albuminous. 



A. CALAMUS, L. (il.). 



Len-luii. 



This is the sweet cane of the Scriptures, and not sugar-cane, as some have 

 supposed (Jlason). 



The whole plant is aromatic, hut the root ahnie ])reserves this quality in drying. 

 It occurs in the bazaars in the shape of wrinkled pieces, and is esteemed by the 

 Hindus as a stimulant in cases of ague and flatiilency. T'ho Calamus aromaticus 

 of the ancients is considered liy Eoyle to be a grass, Amlrojnigon calanius-aromatictis 

 one of the species yiehling the fragrant ' grass oil.' 



KArAi.ixE, Schotf. 

 H. BENTnAMiAXA, Schott. 

 Jfasonanthiis niveus, Kurz. 



K\irz thus describes this plant : — " A small glabrous herb about J- a foot high, 

 with a somewhat tuberous root, at base sheathed with a long linear white sheath. 

 Leaves 3 incdies long, on petioles of equal length, oblong, deeply sinuate-cordate, 

 the basal lobes overlapping each other, and bluntish-prolouged, glabrous, uniformly 

 green, shortly acuminate, the nerves anastomosing. Ftoirers 2 or 3, from the rhizome 

 on long slender o to 4 inch long scapes, the spathe snow-white, linear-lanceolate to 

 lanceolate, about J an inch long, complicate at base, net-veined, rcflexcd, the male 

 spadix esserted, straight, linear-subulate, white, nearly as long as the s/iathe. 



" In Eng Forests near Karway (Tsittoung), Martaban. A simple-looking but 

 really attractive plant, growing clandestinely along with other varieties, such as 

 Hemiurcliis Birmanica, Kurz, and Ariopsis, on the sterile laterite ground. I have 

 called it ' Dr. Mason's snow-white tlower,' in honour of the Itev. Dr. ilason, at 

 Toung-ngoo. Any one who knows this active and nujdest gentleman pcrsonallv, and 

 who knows a little about tlower-hiuguage, will agree with me, that 1 could have 

 selected no better plant for dedicating to liim than the one before me." 



It would seem, however, that the plant in question had already received a name, 

 and the above words of Kurz, describing his Jfusonanthns, will alone remain as an 

 honourable recognition of i)r. Mason's amiable qualities of heart and niiud. 



Order PANDANE^E. 



Flowers dia-cious or polygamous, naked, or simjjle or branched. Spadices, pro- 

 tected by many spathes. Male tiowers : Stamens naked, simple, or variously connate. 

 Anthers erect, '2-celled, the cells dehiscing liuigitudinalh-, truncate or the connective 

 produced. Eemale tiowers: Ovaries naked or rarely surrounded bv sterile stamens, 

 solitary or several united into a bundle, 1-celleil, tlie ovules solitary or numerous, 

 and inserted in 2 series along the bi- to septi-parietal placentas; stignuis often 

 sessile. Drupes fibrous- woody or flesliy, free or variously connate, 1- or many- 

 seeded. Testa membranous or rarely crustaceous. Albumen fleshy. Fnihnjo almost 

 basal, small, with an inferior radicle. Tre(^s branched or simple-stemmed, or shrubs 

 often scandent or sup])orte(l by strong aeriid roots. Li-aves sinqilc, elongate, si^ssile, 

 parallel-nerved, often spiny along the margin, distichous, or arranged in a trijile or 

 rarely simple sjjiral. Drupes simple or compound, collected in more or less compact 

 heads isyncarps). 



Paxdanus, Zrn7ia'us. 



Flou-ers dioecious. Males : Spadix compound ilcshy, at the base, and at the 

 branchings furnished with yellow or white spathes. Stamens very numerous, single, 

 or more usually united into bundles. Anthers erect, 2-celled. Females : Spadix often 



