IV IXTKODUCTIOX. 



Another iierjDlexing plaut whose proper genus I found it cxtremely 

 difficult to determine is Disporopsis arisaiien^is belonging to the Liliacea}. 

 It is with some liesitation that I liave referred the plaut to the said genus, 

 whose original descriptiou is rather too imperfect to l)e clearly uuderstood. 

 To begin with the perianth, the description runs "' perigonium eorollinum, 

 campanulatum, basi leviter saccatum. segmentis 6, suljaj(|ualibus, crassiusculis, 

 uninerviis, tuho duplo longioribus-" So far, this agrees fairly \vell ^^ath oiu' 

 plant. Then comes the corona " Corona apice tubi inserta, lobis paulo brevior, 

 ultra medium in lacinias 6, staminibus alternantes, lineares, acutas, conniventes, 

 genitalia omnino velantes, fissa." I have been veiy much puzzled to iinder- 

 stand what is meant by the " corona." As to the stamens, it is stated 

 " stamina 6, inter coronaj lobos affi.xa." Tlie explanation which I shall give 

 to the " corona," judging from the position of the anthers, is tliat it is a 

 cylindrical tube, composed of dilated filaments which are united one to another 

 and protrude far beyond the insertion of the anthers. but the jwints of in- 

 sertion are terminated by the anthers themselvcs. In other words, the coroua 

 is a tube formed by the perfectly united bi"oad filaments which are sagittately 

 2-lobed at the apex and liave anthers at the sinus l)etween the lobes. Then 

 follows " filamentis brevissimis ; antheris introrsis, brevibus, dorsifixis, secus mar- 

 gines dehiscentibus. Ovarium sessile, ovoideum, trigastrum, triloculare. Stylus 

 brevis, crassiusculus ; stigma punctiforme. Ovula iu (|Uor[ue loculo 4, angulo 



interno affixa, horizontalia. Bacca ? Herba rhizomatosa, caulescens, " 



If my explanation of the " corona " is correct, our plant perfectly accords 

 with Haxce's original description in tlie generic characters. The Formosan 

 species has filaments with sagittate apex, partly united, but distinct ncarly 

 half way down. The point of difterence between Haxce's species and mine 

 is, therefore, whether the filameuts are perfectly united one another or 

 connate for half their length. 



