489 PEXUTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. MllSa, 



scurely three-lobed. — Pericarp of the ma!e-hermaphrodi£e flowers 

 abortive, of the female-hermaphrodite ones fertile, oblong, and a 

 little compressed, pulpj, about two inches long, and less than one 

 broad, when ripe yellow, divided internally iuto three cells, with a 

 double row of seeds in each, these seeds however rarely come to 

 maturity here. 



The plant is highly ornamental, which so far as I know, is all 

 that can be said in its favor. 



S. M. ornata, R. 



Spadix erect ; spathes deciduous, three-flowered, lanceolate. Both 

 petals of the corols equal in length. 



Seng. Ramam'gee-kwla. 



A native of Chittagong, where this and some other sorts are 

 commonly called monkeys plantains. Except in size and manner of 

 flowering, this species does not in any respect differ from the com- 

 mon cultivated sorts already well known. In the botanic garden at 

 Calcutta, they blossom and ripen their seeds the whole year. 



Root perennial, pushing forth a successions of stems every way like 

 those of the cultivated sorts, only about as thick as a man's arm, and 

 in general, in a rich soil from three to five feet high. — Leaves petioled, 

 &c. as the common plantain. — Spadix erect. — Spathes partial, alter- 

 nate, boat-shaped, broad-lanceolate, obtuse, smooth, striated, colour 

 a most lovely light purple or lilac, two- or three-flowered, deciduous, 

 length from four to six inches. — Flowers, the inferior five or six spathes 

 are occupied by female-hermaphrodite ones, all the rest, (and they are 

 very numerous,) by male-hermaphrodite ones; all are orange-colour- 

 ed. — Corol two-petalled, the exterior one irregularly five-toothed, 

 the lateral segments with calcarate apices. The inner petal is as long 

 as the exterior one, thin, and membranaceous. — Filaments five, in 

 some flowers there is the minute rudiment of a sixth. Anthers in the 

 male-hermaphrodite flowers linear, as long as the filaments, in the 

 femaie ones most minute and abortive. — Germ inferior, in the fe- 

 male-hermaphrodite flowers large, and linear-oblong, with three most 



