PHAOSPHERION.  COMMELINACEÆ (AUCT. C. B. CLARKE). 5185 
III. PHAEOSPHERION, Hassk. in Flora 1866, p. 212. Commelinæ 
Sp., Seub. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 3, pt. 1, pp. 265, 266; Benth. in Bot. 
Sulphur 176. Athyrocarpus, Schldl., in Linnæa, 26, p. 454. 
Sepala 3, fere libera; unum exterius navieulare, in præfloratione 
cucullatum, æquale, oblongo-elliptieum ; 2 interiora approximata, 
unilateralia, obovata, faleata; omnia viridia aut subpetaloidea, per- 
sistentia, interdum fruetüs tempore paullo aucta. Petala 3, libera; 
unum exterius æquale, ovatum, brevissime unguiculatum; 2 interiora 
longe unguiculata, unilateralia, ovata aut cordata, cærulea, marces- 
centia. Stamina 3 perfecta, 3 vel 2 antheris cassis hastato-triangule- 
ribus flavis instrueta, interdum deficienta; libera, filamentis longis 
tenuibus glabris; duo sepalis interioribus opposita antheris oblongis 
instructa, unum petalo exteriori juxtapositum anthera majore loculis 
basi elongatis divaricatis instructum; duo infertilia petalis interiori- 
bus opposita, unum infertile sepalo exteriori oppositum haud raro 
omnino deficiens. Antherarum fertilium loculi rima longitudinali 
dehiscentes, omnino normales. Ovarium sessile, glabrum, 3-loculare ; | 
loculus dorsalis l-ovulatus, loculi 2 ventrales 2-ovulati. Capsula glo- 
bosa aut ellipsoidea, indehiscens, crustacea, levis, nitida, cyanea 
aut alba, 5-sperma. Semina dissimilia; in unoquoque loculorum 
ventralium 2 superposita truncata; in loculo dorsali unum majuscu- 
lum. Hilum lineare, verticale. Mieropyla lateralis, ab hilo remota, 
m seminibus solitariis prope medium sita, in seminibus truncatis 
Prope basin truncatam apposita, embryostega circulari levi tecta. 
Testa sicca, firma, nigrescens, levis, rugosa aut foveolata, sæpe 
puberula. Embryo cylindricus, paullo clavatus, horizontalis, quoad 
hilum transverse remotus. 
Herbæ ramosæ. Pedunculi e vaginis prodeuntes, solitarii sparsi, 
aut apices versus ramulorum adgregati; superne in duos racemos 
bifidi, infra divortium bractea magna foliacea complicata instructi ; 
racemus inferior præcocior 3-1-florus, flores masculos sustinens, 
artus depauperatus vel 0; pedicelli in racemo scorpioideo articulati, 
R cymulam condensati, mox caduci; racemus superior serius florens, 
pedicelli 2-6 in racemo scorpioideo articulati in cymulam condensati, 
flores succedanei singulatim expansi e spatha exserti, 2-3 inferiores 
perfecti, capsulas maturantes, fruetús tempore persistentes arcte 
"ecurvati, superiores eradatim imperfecti. — Genus spathá inflore: - 
