PHRYNIUM MYROSMA. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. I. CANNE. 
Gey. Cuar.—Anther single, attached to the margin of the filament; style tubular, revolute, truncate; stigma 
orbicular ; capsule three-celled; seeds three. 
Srrc. Cuar.—Spike flowering from the petiole, drooping ; bractes lozenge-shaped ; leaves lanceolate-acute, glaucous 
below ; petioles decurrent, with a marcescent margin; ganglions slightly marked with a few 
fine deflexed hairs. 
Syy.—Myrisma, 120. Nova. Linn. Pl. Surin. 5. Ameen. Ac. v. viii. 251. 
Myrosma canneefolia. Lin. Supplem. 80, excluding the synonym. 
Myrosma canneeformis. Willd. 1. 13. (excluso synonimo Rheedii.) 
Myrosma canneefolia. Sir J. E. Smith, in Rees’ Cyclop. 
Myrosma canneeformis. Roemer & Schultes, 1. 18. 
Myrosma cannefolia. Sprengel, 1. 9. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root perennial, tuberous, with numerous fibres; stem herbaceous, from one to two feet high ;_ leaves 
alternate, lanceolate-acute, inequilateral, 3—5 inches long, 1—1+ broad, finely nerved, bright green above, 
glaucous below; petiole decurrent, winged, marcescent on the margin, ganglions half an inch in length, 
dark green, slightly villous, with deflexed hairs; spike bursting from the floral petiole ; peduncle about an 
inch long, supporting an imbricated, drooping spike or catkin, composed of 8 or 10 floral bractes; exterior 
bractes lozenge-shaped, each containing two flowers ; opposite interior bracte carinate, or quadriform, with decurrent 
wings at the exterior angles; calyx of three lanceolate leaflets or segments; corolla tubular; exterior limb 
of three segments, equal, intire, white; interior limb bilabiate, white ; upper lip in two segments, equal, intire ; 
lower lip ovate, white; filament petal-like; anther attached to the margin of the filament by a short subulate 
pedicel; style tubular, revolute, truncate towards the apex; stigma a circular compressed orifice ; capsule three- 
celled ; seeds three. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
The plant of which we have here, for the first time, published a figure, is of considerable importance 
in the history and definition of Scitaminean Plants, as it enables us to clear up a doubt which we had 
long entertained, as to the propriety of retaining amongst them the genus Myrosma, which was founded by 
Linnzeus on the present plant. In order to show the reasons that have induced us to exclude that generic 
appellation altogether from our present arrangement, it will be necessary to enter upon the subject some- 
what more at large. 
That Linnzeus was well acquainted with the present plant is certain, a specimen of it still existing in 
his Herbarium, in the possession of the learned President of the Linnzean Society at Norwich. In constituting 
it the type of a genus, Linneus appears to have acted strictly up to his own principles; and although in 
referring to the figure in Van Rheede, (ort. Mal. xi. tab. 34. the plant now called Phrynium capitatum,) he 
was mistaken in the species, he was correct with respect to the genus; and if as much had been known 
then, as is now the case, respecting these plants, they would doubtless have been all designated by the name 
of Myrosma, and the establishment of a genus by the name of Phrynium, would have been unnecessary. 
