490 JOURNAL. BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1802. 



Leaves — Sessile or short petioled ; the inferior ones opposite 

 and oblong ; the superior ones single, ovate-lanceolate; the other leaf 

 replaced by the flower-stalk, when the plant is in flower. The 

 length of the leaves varies from six to eight inches ; the greatest 

 breadth is often as much as two inches. Venation, parallel-nerved. 

 Mid-rib prominentj terminating into a stiff spiral coil, which resembles 

 a tendril. This is a marked characteristic of the plant, which, so 

 far as I know, has no parallel in the Vegetable Kingdom. 



Flowers— Solitary, on long slender variously curved peduncles, 

 4-6 inches long ; deflexed, often giving the flowers with their reflex 

 petals the appearance of a slender- winged butterfly poised in the air. 

 It is this that gives the gorgeous flowers their unique appearance, 

 and shows off their rich, varied, and ever-varying hues. 



Perianth— Of six petals, persistent. Floicer-huds conical or 

 pyramidal, bright green. 



Petals — 3-4 inches long; linear-lanceolate, narrow, undulate 

 or crisped ; bright green with a pale yellow margin when fresh 

 opened ; bright yellow up to a third from their insertion, and scarlet 

 up to tip when full-blown ; gradually converting into rich scarlet, 

 with golden -yellow margin and mid -rib when the ovary is maturing 

 into fruit and growing in size. The flower retains its beauty for 

 several days. The petals are persistent, and don't fall off even 

 after the plant has dried. They fall off long after the fruit and 

 seeds are mature. It is this that makes it so appreciable as a forest 

 and garden beauty. The petals, which are reflexed when fresh- 

 open, assume a spreading aspect as they grow older. 

 Stamens — Six hj^pogynous ; radiating from the ovary. 



Filaments — Filiform, sometimes stout; bright green when 

 the flower first opens ; gradually changing into bright golden 

 yellow as the flower matures. 



Connective — Greenish ; changing into golden-yellow. 

 Anthers — Large, semilunar, versatile, golden-yellow, extrorse ; 

 often dorsifixed. 

 Pistil : — 



Ovary — 3-celled, superior, as is characteristic of the 

 natural order LiliacecB ; the carpels deeply grooved in the 

 centre, thus giving the fruit the appearance of a six-lobed 



