PHRYNIUM ZEBRINUM. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. I. CANNE. 
Gen. Cuar.—Anther single, attached to the margin of the filament; style tubular, recurved, truncate ; stigma an 
orbicular orifice, depressed ; seeds three. 
Sprxc. Cuar.—Leaves radical, on long petioles, with a dusky purple ganglion, inzequilateral, ovate-oblong, clouded 
on the upper side with shades or streaks of green, the under side purple; scape radical, capitate, 
imbricate, flowers purple. ; 
Syy.—Maranta zebrina, Curt. Bot. Mag. 1926. 
Maranta zebrina, Lindley, in Bot. Reg. 385. 
Calathea zebrina, Donn, Hort. Cantabr. p- 3. Ed. 10. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root tuberous, with very strong spreading fibres; leaves radical, equitant, on strong sheathing’ petioles, 
terminating at the leaf in a dark purple ganglion, striated with shades of green on the upper surface, and dark 
purple below, ovate-oblong, inzequilateral ; scape radical, erect, compactly imbricated with large coriaceous bractes 
of a purplish green colour; flowering spike capitate, compact, imbricate with large orbicular exterior bractes, which 
are revolute at the apex, each bracte containing many flowers rising in pairs in succession ; interior bractes biflorous, 
ovate, striate, membranous, purple, slightly villous, inclosing another lanceolate, bidentate, angular bracte, distinguished 
by two membranous wings running down the back, and which seem to be characteristic of this genus ; calyx 
superior, of three lanceolate petal-like segments, white at the base, and purple at the apex, extending the whole 
length of the tube of the corolla. Corolla tubular, with a double limb; outer limb in three lanceolate segments, 
erect, equal, dark purple; inner limb in three segments, the two lateral ones intire, ovate, obtuse, spreading, 
white, finely striated with purple; the third segment, or lip, declined, irregular, truncate, hooded at the apex, so 
as to protect the anther and filament, white, tipt with purple; filament acinaciform, diaphanous; anther grooved, 
and placed near the apex of the filament; style cylindrical, revolute, truncate ; stigma orbicular, with a Corineeots 
margin opening below the truncated apex of the style; germen three-celled, seeds three, oblong, angular. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Notwithstanding the respectable authorities on which this singular plant has hitherto been consigned to the genus 
Maranta, we find ourselves compelled, by a concurrence of circumstances, which we consider as irresistible, to transfer 
it to the proximate genus Phrynium.—Our principal reasons for this are founded on the stigma, an organ in this 
section of Monandrian plants of the first importance in deciding on their botanical character, and which in Maranta 
terminates the revolute style with a triangular or three-lobed crifice, but in Phrynium is placed below the truncate 
termination of the style, with an orbicular coriaceous margin. 'T’o this we may add the presence of the peculiar 
winged bracte immediately inclosing the flower, which is not found in Maranta; but the most striking 
characteristic, and by which we conceive the propriety of our decision is fully confirmed, arises from the seed- 
vessel, which in Phrynium is a three-celled capsule, inclosing three oblong angular seeds, but in Maranta is a berry- 
like fruit, inclosing one seed only ; a distinction which we consider as ascertaining the difference between these two 
genera beyond all possibility of doubt. 
