HELLENIA CA RULEA. 
MONANDRIA MONOGYN IA. 
Se 
SECT. II. SCITAMINER. 
embracing the style; filament extended beyond the anther, with an ovate or bilobate 
crest ; interior limb of the corolla unilabiate. 
Srec. Cuar.—Apex of the filament ovate ; 
Gry. Cuar.—Anther double, 
lip trilobate ; middle segment slightly notched at the apex; spike loose, 
conical, declined ; leaves lanceolate, ineequilateral. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root thick and woody, taking strong hold of the ground 
3 stem erect, from 6 to 8 feet high; leaves alternate, 
lanceolate, inzequilateral, 
dark green, purpurescent towards the apex; petioles very short, channelled, closely 
sheathing the stem, and terminating in an ovate, ligulated stipula, with a red spot at the base; spike terminal, 
declined ; peduncles alternating on the rachis, triflorous ; common bractes deciduous, proper bractes inferior, one to 
each flower; calyx superior, sheathing the tube of the corolla its whole length, apex bifid, 
slightly hirsute, with an 
interior calyx or scale; exterior limb of corolla in three nearly equal seg 
ments, the two lower ones declined under 
the lip, the upper one erect, and slightly hooded over the apex of the filament, white; inner limb unilabiate, 
slightly trilobate, centre lobe bifid, with two small spurs or hornlets at the base, and supported on a long, narrow, 
channelled claw; filament linear, erect, red, terminating a little beyond the anther in a simple ovate lobe; anther 
in two distinct lobes; style erect, hirsute, rubescent, received between the bilobate anther, but scarcely reaching its 
apex, supported at the base by two green obtuse glandular processes; stigma concave, with a ciliated margin ; capsules 
green, but becoming a light blue when ripe, trilocular; seeds angular, red, arilled. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
The name of Hellenia, intended to honour Professor Hellenius of Abo, was first applied by Retzius to the plant 
now called Costus speciosus ; but that plant having already been named, Willdenow abolished the name of Hellenia, 
as applied to it, and gave the same name to another tribe of Monandrian Plants, the Languas of Keenig, which 
Retzius had named Hereticra. In my Dissertation on Monandrian Plants, in Lin. Yrans. vol. viii. I have referred 
these plants to Alpinia; but Mr. Brown having, in his Prodromus Flore Nove Hollandie, &c. p- 307, described 
another species of this genus, which appears to be distinguished from Alpinia, by the filament being extended 
beyond the anther, to which he has given the name of Cerulea, I am happy in the opportunity of coinciding in 
his opinion, that this genus should, for the reasons he has given, be retained ;* and of confirming the same by the 
figure here given, from a plant which flowered in May 1824, in the Botanic Garden at Liverpool, and which 
perfected its seeds there. For this very elegant plant the Liverpool Garden is indebted to the liberality of 
the Honourable and Rev. William Herbert. 
REFERENCES. 
1. The corolla intire. 
2. The same seen at the back. 
3. The lip, with the hornlets at the base. 
4. The filament projecting beyond the anther. 
5. Exterior border of corolla, the upper segment covering the filament. 
6. The hirsute style. 
7. Calyx. 
g. Inner do. 
9. Spike in fruit. 
10. Capsule. 
11. Seed. 
és t Alpinia, que differt filamento ultra antheram non producto, et capsule textura.”—Brown. Prodrom. pastel 
* « Hellenie proxima es » 
