366 CLiz. XTBiDE^. (J. G. Baker.) IXyris, 



Leaves 3-8 in., rarely f in. broad, Btrongly nerved, scaberulous on the surface or 

 margin or neither. Spike J— 5 in. long and broad, rarely ovoid. Lateral bracteoles 

 oblanceolate, acaminate, keeled, hyaline, quite glabrous. — Part of Wallich's 6083 D 

 is FimbrisiyUs tetragona, Br. Small specimens with small spikes resemble X. 

 bancana, and there are Mergui specimens collected by Griffith and Lobb with leaves 

 6-10 by ^— i in. and scape 6-24 in. 



7. X. bancana, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. Suppl. 608 ; dwarf, leaves 1-2 in. 

 filiform smooth, flexuous rigid much shorter than the filiform flexnous 

 smooth compressed scape, spike very small ovoid, bracts few obovate 

 obtuse. 



Malacca, in sandy places near the sea, Griffith, Maingay ; Pahang, Ridley. — 

 DiSTEiB. Banca. 



Resembles a small form of X. pauciflora, but much more slender and rigid, with 

 filiform scape. Leaves ^-g in. broad, grooved. Spike |-i in. ; bracts pale, inner 

 hardly exceeding the outer. Lateral bracteoles linear-lanceolate, strongly ciliate, 

 keel toothed. 



DOUBTFTJL SPECIES. 



8. X. LAPPAOBA, Serb. Beyne ex Mart, in Wall. PI. As. Ear. iii. 30 ; Wall. Oat. 

 6085; Kunth JEnum. iv. 16; Ste%id. Syn. PI. Cyp. 287.— There is no specimen in 

 Wallich's Herbarium, only the empty sheet, with his number and a ticket of Heyne's 

 inscribed " Xyris capensis, Bestiac. 28," across which Wallich has written " Return.'" 

 — The inference is tliat the specimen was lent to Martius with the others of the 

 genus Hud possibly never returned. The reference to capensis makes me suspect 

 that it is X. anceps, which strongly resembles and may be the same as a Cape 

 species. 



Obbeb. CLX. COninZEXiXNACES:. 



Herbs, rarely climbing or undershrubs. Leaves costate, bases sheathing, 

 nerves parallel. Inflorescence various. Flowers usually bisexual, more or 

 less irregular. Perianth inferior, 6-partite ; 3 outer segments herbaceous 

 often persistent, 3 inner petal oid, free or united in a tube below, marcescent, 

 spreading. Stamens 6, inserted on the base of the segments, all antheri- 

 ferous or 2 or more reduced to staminodes, filaments often bearded with 

 jointed hairs ; anthers oblong or globose, often dissimilar. Ovary free, 

 2-3-celled; style terminal, stigma small; ovules 1 or few in the inner angle 

 of the cells, orthotropous. Capsule loculicidal or indehisceut. Seeds 

 angled, testa smooth or rugose, albumen floury ; embryo minute, far from 

 the hilum. — Genera 25, species about 300, tropical and subtropical. 



The specific characters, synonyms, &c., are drawn up, with permission, frotq 

 C. B. Clarke's careful and exhaustive " Monograph of this Order " in Vol. III. 

 of A. de CandoUe's Monographs (p. 113 and seq.), 1881. I have added to the 

 diagnoses a few subsidiary characters that may aid in the recognition of the 

 species. 



Tribe I. Pollie^:. Fruit indehiscent, crustaceous. 

 Panicle terminal, of scorpioid cymes 1. Pollia. 



Tribe II. OoMMEtiNEa;. Capsule loculicidal. Stamens 3 perfect, with 

 1-3 staminodes. 



