494 MKtandria monogynia. Heliconia. 



Append. 36. t. ii.) looks very much like these plants, but his des- 

 cription, imperfect as it is, does not admit of its being considered 

 as a congener; still Gmelin makes it a Musa (M. Etisete) in his 

 edit, of Syst. Naturae, ii. 567- — The hardy natives of Nijal eat the 

 fruit, although it contains little else than hard seeds. — N« W. 



HELICON 1 A, Schreb. gen. 403. 



Spatkes alternate. Calyx none. Carol six-petalled. Nectary one* 

 leaved. Germ inferior, three-celled ; cells with one or more seeds ; 

 attachment inferior. Pericarp three-celled, three-valved, seed soli' 

 tary, of several. 



1. H. buccinata, R. 



Stemless. Leaves lanceolar, glossy. Spadix central, flexuose, 

 pubescent; spathes from six to eight, bifarious, diverging, each em- 

 bracing from six to ten pedicelled flowers. Nectary oblong ; cells 

 of the germ one-seeded. 



Folium buccinatum, Rumph. amb. v. 141. t 62. f. 2.* 



From Amboyna plants were brought to the botanic garden at 

 Calcutta, in 1798, where in seven years they began to blossom dur- 

 ing the hot season, viz. April and May ; but have not yet ripened 

 their seed in Bengal. 



Root consisting of numerous, strong, fleshy fibres, like the common 

 banana, and still more permanent than in any species of Musa known 

 to me. — Stem no other than the united sheathing part of the petiols, 

 except when in flower the scape then rises through their centre. — 

 Leaves in numerous bundles from the same root, forming an im- 

 mense, beautiful bush; bifarious, petioled, lanceolate, entire, polish- 

 ed, acute, with diverging veins, from two to four feet long, and one 



* This quotation is correct, for Rumphius is obviously mistaken in referring this fi. 

 gure to his Folium buccinatum asperum, which seems to be represented by fig./, i. — La- 

 marck confounds both plants under his Heliconia indica (Encycl. bot. i. 427.) Our plant 

 has not for many years blossomed in the botanic garden QWJDg perhaps, to its being chief! J 

 multiplied by separating the offsets.— N. W. 



