Maschalocephalus.] cxliv. rapateace^e (brown). 89 



at the apex into a short conical or mitre-like appendage; albumen 

 copious, mealy ; embryo lenticular, seated on the albumen near the 

 hilum. — Perennial marsh herbs of robust habit, with short thick 

 rhizomes. Leaves all radical, usually more or less distichous ; sheaths 

 well developed, conduplicate ; blades elongate, broadly linear-lanceolate 

 or oblong, sessile on the sheath or distinctly petiolate, with numerous 

 parallel veins. Flowers in dense heads involucrate by two large bracts, 

 or in a unilateral spike enclosed in a spathe, usually on long peduncles, 

 or (in the African species) very shortly pedunculate or subsessile in 

 the axils of the leaves ; each flower surrounded by numerous bracts, 

 which sometimes form an involucre resembling that of the ComposiUn. 



A small order of 7 genera and about 24 species, all natives of Tropical America, 

 ■except the following. 



1. MASCHALOCEPHALUS, Gilg k K. Schum. in Engl. 

 Jahrb. xxviii. 148. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, regular. Perianth with an elongated tube 

 and G subequal lobes. Stamens 6, inserted on the tube of the perianth ; 

 anthers linear, rounded at the base, tapering towards the apex, opening 

 by introrse pores at the apex, 4-celled, the '2 inner cells about ^ shorter 

 than the outer. Ovary 3-ceiled ; style elongated ; ovules solitary in 

 each cell, affixed near the base of the axile placenta, erect. Capsule 

 triangular, shortly apiculate, faintly striate. Seed ellipsoid, acute at 

 both ends, with an elongated gibbosity above the hilum ; testa smooth, 

 ;hinly punctulate, milk-white, provided with a radiating fibrous yellow 

 appendage or callus at the apex ; albumen copious ; embryo very small. 

 — Marsh herbs of tufted habit. Leaves alternate, hard, somewhat 

 rigid, densely crowded, linear-lanceolate, sheathing at the base. Flowers 

 in heads in the axils of the leaves. 



An endemic genus of 1 species, which I have not seen. 



1. M. Dinklagei, Gily d- K. Schum. in Engl. Jahrh. xxviii. 148. 

 A tufted herb. Leaf-sheaths unequally plicate, 4|-5J in. long, 7 lin. 

 broad at the base, narrowing to about 2 lin. broad where they pass 

 into the blades, which are about 16 in. long. 14 lin. broad, linear- 

 lanceolate, tapering towards both ends, very acute, many-nerved. In- 

 florescence about J in. long. " Capitulum sessile in the axils of the 

 leaves, bracteate at the base, with a few unequal complicate and carinate 

 -subulate bracts^ pedunculate above the bracts ; peduncle thick, trian- 

 gular, short, almost concealed by the two larger involucrating bracts, 

 many-flowered." Flowers surrounded by many bracteoles. Perianth- 

 tube slender, about IJ in. long, J lin. diam., cylindric ; lobes 0, sub- 

 equal, 5i lin. long, 2\ lin. broad, very thin and membranous, whitish- 

 yellow. 



Upper Guinea. Liberia; in a swamp at Fish Town, Grand Bassa, about 10 t\. 

 above sea-level, Binklage, 2088. 



