120 MANN, 



a wing-like or triangular or ovate apical appendage ; the two anterior 

 produced from the back into spur-shaped appendages, which are re- 

 ceived into the spur or sac of the anterior petals. Ovary with two 

 or more series of ovules on each placenta. Style clavate or subulate; 

 stigma often one-sided. Herbs or shrubs Leaves alternate ; stipules 

 foliaceous, often persistent. Peduncles or scapes axillary, 2-bracteo- 

 late, 1-4 -flowered. Many produce apetalous or cryptopetalous and 

 fertile radical flowers during the summer. 



A large genus, mostly of temperate and cold regions of the northern hemisphere, a 

 few in Africa, Australasia and Polynesia. 

 Perennial marsh herbs. 



Flowers on axlllar one flowered peduncles; stems creeping, . 1. V. Kavaiensis. 



Flowers 2-4, umbelled at the summit of the upright terminal 



scape ; stems ascending, 1. V. Afatiensis. 



Under-shrub, ; 3. V. Chamusoniana. 



1. V. KAVAIENSIS Gray. (Enum. No. 10.) Stems or stolons 

 creeping, flexuose, rather slender, glabrous, with rather large, ovate or 

 ovate-lanceolate, scaly and brownish stipules, the upper ones narrower 

 and more acuminate ; all with bristle-shaped and glandular tipped teeth. 

 Leaves mostly crowded at the extremity of the flower bearing stolons, 

 rounded, slightly cordate, or somewhat reniform ; but with the base 

 more or less cuneate-decurrent into the slender petiole, coriaceous, 

 thickly punctate, closely serrate with obtuse and inflexed-appressed 

 teeth, strongly nervose, usually glabrous. Peduncles about 2' long, 2- 

 bracted a little below the flower. Sepals oblong lanceolate, glabrous. 

 Petals pale blue, hardly as long as the calyx, the lower but little the 

 largest and inconspicuously saccate at the base. Stamens scarcely 

 shorter than the petals ; filaments slender, connective hardly at all pro- 

 duced. Style short, thick, uncinate-cucullate. It is possible that the 

 only flowers which have ever been observed, of this species, are not the 

 normal, but cryptopetalous ones. In this case the normal ones are a 

 desideratum, and the character is to be altered in accordance. 



On the leeward part of the mountains of Kauai. 



2. V. MAVIESTSIS H. Mann. (Enum. No. 11.) The ascending caudi- 

 ces a foot long, thickly clothed at the summit with densely imbricated 

 ovate-lanceolato stipules, which are beset with bristle-shaped teeth. 

 Leaves rounded and clustered at the apex of the caudex, serrate, taper- 

 ing at the base into slender petioles. Scape 3' -8' long, 2-bracted 

 about the middle. Pedicels about 4, umbellate from the bracted sum- 

 mit of the scape, 2-bracted. Petals dark blue, the lower one very wide- 

 ly and shortly saccate, all twice as long as the lanceolate sepals. Dif- 

 fering from No. 1 in its erect growth, and upright scape bearing an 

 umbel of flowers at its apex ! 



Summit of mountain of West Maul. 



