CXLIX. ' SCITAMINE^E. (J. G. Baker.) 263 



M. OOENICULATA, (Rumph.) Kurz in Journ. Agric. Hort. Soc. Ind. n.s. v. 

 166, t. 2-3 ; flower larger than in any other form, only 2-3 rarely 4 whorls of 

 flowers produced, fruit as large as in paridisiaca, 



M. TEXTILIS, Nee in Cav. Ann. Cienc. Nat. iv. 123 ; leaves firmer in texture 

 than iu supientum, "yielding a useful fibre, bracts polished, seeds very small and 

 scarcely at all angled. Native of the Philippines, cult, in India. 



M. AEAKANENSIS, Ripley in Proc. Agric. Hort. Soc. Ind. x. 51; a fibre- 

 yielding form from Arrakan. 



M. ZEBBINA, Flore des Serres, t. 1081-2 and M. VITTATA, Sot. Mag. t. 3402, 

 are handsome forms with variegated leaves. Other forms are mentioned by Kurz in 

 Journ. Agric. Hort. Beng. n.s. v. (1878), 112-168; and Sagot in Journ. Soc. 

 Nat. Horticult. France, 1887, 238, 285. 



*** Stoleniferous. Stem slender, cylindric. Bracts few-fld,, bright 

 coloured. Fruit not edible. 



5. m. rosaeea, Jacq. Fragm. t. 132, fig. 4 ; Hort. Schoen. t. 445 ; 

 stoloniferous, leaves petioled, flower-spike drooping or erect, bracts ovate 

 lilac or pale red, lower usually 3-fld., calyx yellowish- white 5-toothed, 

 petal as long as the calyx, fruit oblong-trigonous pulpy. Bot. Beg. t. 706. 

 Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 615. M. ornata, Rojcb. Hort. Beng. 19 ; Fl. Ind. i. 666 ; 

 Dabs. $ G-ibs. Bomb. _F7. 272. 



EASTERN HIMALAYA and the CONCAN. DISTRIB. Java. 



Stem cylindric, tlender,.3-5 ft. Leaves linear-oblong, firmer in texture than in 

 M. sapientum. Spike about i ft., drooping in the cultivated form; bracts oblong, 

 about ft., crowded; male fl. 5-6 in a cluster. Calyx about 1 in. Fruit and seeds 

 as in typical sapientum. 



6. M. sanguinea, Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. t. 975; stoloniferous, 

 leaves petioled, spike erect or finally drooping, bracts ovate-lanceolate 

 bright red, dower usually 3-fld., rachis pubescent, calyx bright yellow 

 5-toothed, petal as long as the calyx, fruit oblong-trigonous pulpy. 



ASSAM, Mann. 



Stem 4-5 ft., very slender. Leaves 2 ft., thin, bright green ; petiole 1 ffc. or 

 more. Spike % ft. ; bracts crowded, imbricate, 3-6 in. Calyx 1^ in. Fruit 2-3 

 in., pale yellowish green, variegated with red. Seeds irregularly cubical, black, 

 tubercled. 



IMPERFECTLY KNOWN SPECIES ALLIED TO M. SANGUINEA. 



M. ASSAMICA, Cat. Hort. Bull. 1871, 6; leaves about 1 ft. very unequal-sided 

 bright green. Assam. 



M. AURANTIACA, Mann, rnss., from Assam. I cannot by dried specimen of 

 inflorescence distinguish this from M. sanguinea. 



M. DASYCARPA, Kurz in Journ. Agric. Sort. Soc. Ind. xiv. 301 (s.p.); fruit 

 hairy. Assam. 



M. MANNII, Wendl. mss. ; differs from M. sanguinea in the shorter stein and 

 longer leaves. Assam. 



M. UEANOSCOPOS, Lour. Fl. Coch. 645 (M. coccinea, Andr. Bot. Rep. t. 47), 

 Java, China, Cochin China. Cultivated in India. 



M. VELUTINA, Wendl. and Drude in Regel Gartenfl. xxiv. 65, t. 823, bracts 

 densely pubescent externally, male fl. 6-9 in a cluster. Assam, Mann._ 



24. XiOWXA, Scortecfiini.' 



Stemless, herbaceous. Stem dichotomously branched. Flowers in a 

 cluster from the basse of the petiole, pedicelled,- with a large persistent 



