2. Aneilema.] 90. COMMFLINACFJS. [ 1. Musa. 



Tho genua Aneilema is easily distinguished from Commelina by the 

 absence of the spathaceous conduplicate bracts. The fls. are bracteata 

 and bracteolate with equal petals. 



A. scapiftorum, Wight, is a very beautiful little plant which throws 

 up its scapes of panicled purple-blue flowers $'' diam. in March and 

 April. The ensiform leaves appear in May. The sepals are reddish, and 

 the 3 ovary cells are each 3-6-ovuled. 



The tuberous roots are credited with various medicinal properties. 



3. Cyanotis, Don. 



1. C- tuberosa, Schul. Merom chunchi, 8. 



A herb with the procumbent and ascending flowering 

 stems 18"-2 ft. Cymes terminal in capitate corymbs, with 

 densely imbricate villous or hairy falcately ovate-lanceolate 

 bracts concealing the flowers except the exserted petals and 

 stamens. 



Among bushes. Fls. July-Aug. Pr. Sept. 



Roots of numerous elongate fasoicled tubers. L. tufted radical and 

 cauline. linear-lanceolate or ensiform scaberulous and with few long 

 silky hairs beneath, shining, often purplish beneath, margins and rest of 

 plant villous or woolly. Fls. blue-purple, petals sub-equal. Seeds broadly 

 conical on a flat base, rugose. 



The roots are eaten. Under the Santali name Hodo jereng arafe, 

 Campbell states that " the root is given in long continued fevers and 

 also for worms in cattle. The leaves are eaten as a pot-herb. " 



Fam. 91. MUSACEJE. 



1. Musa, L. 



Stout often tree-like herbs with the stems composed of 

 the convolute leaf-sheaths, large alternate leaves with pinnate- 

 venation, the sec. n. spreading nearly at right-angles to 

 the stout mid-rib. Fls. zygornorphic mostly monoecious, 

 several in the axils of large leathery, often coloured, bracts. 

 F. only at the base. Bracts arranged in a close spike 

 terminating a peduncle which ascends from tbe rhizome 

 through the middle of the stem. Sepals and 2 petals connate 

 into a 3-5-partite split tube, posterior petal free. Stamens 



536 



