1592 OXXVII. OECHIDE^. [Apostasia. 



nerves prominent underneath. Eacemes shorter than the leaves, slender but 

 rigid. Bracts lanceolate, 1 to 2 lines long. Ovary nearly 3 lines long at the 

 time of flowering, elongated but still very narrow when in fruit. Sepals and 

 petals narrow-linear, slightly recurved, about 2 lines long, the sepals obtuse, the 

 petals with a dorsal point just below the apex. Anthers 2, without any rudi-' 

 mentary one, the two cells very unequal at the base, the connective scarcely 

 produced beyond the cells. Style rather thick, the stigma with 3 short unequal 

 ■erect teeth or lobes. — Niemeyera stylidioides, F. v. M. Fragm. vi. 96. 

 Hab. : Rockingham Bay, Dallachy, 



I have followed Brown in considering the group of Apostasiece as a tribe of OrcliidecB rather 

 than as a distinct Order, notwithstariding the number of anomalies it unites. It has the 

 -exceptional inflorescence of Gorymbis, the perianth of Thelymitra, two anthers as in Cypripedmn, 

 and the 3-ceUed ovary of Gypripedium (Uropediuni and Selenipodium.)—Benth. 



OiiDER CXXVIII. SCITAMINE^. 



Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, irregular. Perianth superior, normally 



■of 6 parts in 2 series, the three outer ones united in a 8-toothed or 3-lobed tube. 



or upper lip, or in genera free, the three inner ones variously combined with the 



outer perianth or more frequently with the staminodes or stamens, or the lower 



one free. Stamens normally 8 or 6 but in most genera only 1, in Musa only 5, 



bearing anthers, the others either wanting or converted into barren petal-like 



■staminodes often called an inner corolla, or short and linear ; in most genera one 



•of them is usually larger, broadly petal-like and on the side opposed to the perfect 



-stamen and is then called the labellurn. Antliers 2-celled or in some 1 -celled, 



Ovary inferior, 8-celled, with 1 or more ovules in each cell or rarely 1-celled. 



Style simple with a terminal entire or lobed stigma. Fruit a berry or a fleshy or 



dry capsule. Seeds albuminous. Herbs usually with a perennial rhizome. 



Stem short or rarely elongated unless formed of the convolute leaf-sheaths, and 



then often attaining a considerable height. Leaves entire, with long sheathing 



petioles, the limb often very large, with very numerous parallel veins diverging 



from the midrib. Flowers often very showy, in spikes, racemes or panicles, on a 



radical or terminal scape or peduncle. 



A considerable tropical or subtropical Order, common to the New and the Old World. 



Tribe I. Zingribereae. — Outer perianth or calyx 3-toothed or S-lohed or spathaceous; 

 inner perianth or corolla free from it, combined with the filament into a tube, the limb S-lobed with 

 sometimes 2 inner additional lobes or staminodia. One perfect upper stamen, with a 2-celled 

 ■anther embracing the style, and one large petal-like labellurn or lower staminode opposite it, 

 ■and sometimes 2 short linear stylodes at the base of the style. 



Flowers in dense spikes with imbricate bracts, on a short or tall scape 

 separate from the leafy stems or tufts. 

 Flowers 3 to 5 within each bract. Corolla with 2 inner lobes or petal- 

 like staminodes. Ovary 3-celled 1. Cukcuma. 



Flowers 1 to 3 within each bract. Ovary 2-celled 2, Tapeinocheilos. 



Flowers solitary within each bract. Corolla without inner lobes. 



Connective produced into a long linear appendage. Corolla-tube 



cylindric 3. Zingibek. 



Connective produced into 3-lobed appendage beyond the anther. 



Corolla-lobes as long as the tube ... i. AiMOMUM. 



Connective not produced beyond the anther Corolla-tube slender 



much longer than the lobes 5. ELETTA'Rii. 



F'lowers in a thick dense spike with imbricating bracts, terminating on 



leafy stem. Labellurn convolute erect. Ovary 3-celled 6. Costus. 



-Tlowers in a loose raceme or thyrsus terminating a leafy stem. Labellurn 



flat spreading ■ .... 7. Alpinia. 



Tribe II. ItXusece. — Inner and outer perianth more or less combined, or each S-parted to the 

 iase. Perfect stamens usually 5. 

 Perianth of 2 segments, the upper outer one 5-lohed at the end, the lower 



inner one much smaller .... 



