1842.] Observations on the Genus Spathium. 147 



Spadice pedunculato, pedunculo cylindrico, involucro herbaceo cadu- 

 cissimo ; Floris dense spiraliter dispositi sepalis, junioribus sub-imbricatis, 

 coeruliis basi oblique cuneati apice subcordato ovatis. Stam. 6, fila- 

 mentis crassis bractaeis sub-longioribus antherae cerulse sub-quadrata bi- 

 loculari, lateraliter dehiscentes, polline gibbi ellipsoidoeo lutieo. Ovaria 

 erecta-lsevia 3-6 spermis, semina 2-4 (2-3 abortientibus,) erectis ovatis, 

 8 costatis. Testa exterior herbacea viridi laxa facile separabili. In- 

 terior ad embryonem arete adpressa brunnea leviter striata, uno latera 

 raphe irridi, chalaza magna viridi.* Cotyledon germinans elongatur 

 in cornu, plumata diutius basi lateraliter fisso evolvitur, folio elliptico, 

 cotyledon solidum, album, plumule basilare minimum. 



Sp. undulatum. Foliis brevi petiolatis lineari oblongis, basi cuneatis, 

 submersis ulvaceis. Floribus in spadice post anthesin elongato sejunc- 

 tis. Sepalis caducissimis. 



Rhizoma tuberosa, radicibus crassis paucis filamentosis ad apicem. 



Foliis plurimis radicalibus petiolatis, lanceolatis, undulatis a limbo in 

 petiolium decurrente nervo medio crasso, lateralibus, 2-4 paralleles nervis 

 transversalibus. Limbo plerumque petiolo longiore vernatione involuti. 



Floriis numerosi in spadice elongato dispositis ; primo confertis, ra- 

 chides elongata sparsis pedunculo longissimo emersi. Spatha acuta 

 ante anthesin decidua. Sepalis 2, sub-spathulatis basi quasi unguiculatis 

 coloratis (lacteo-albis) caducissimis, ad stamina 2 lateralia oppositis. 



Stamine 6. filamentis erectis divaricatis carnosis persistentibus. An- 

 thera biloba lateraliter dehiscente decidua e flavo ccerulescente. Polline 

 luteo acute elliptico (in iodino vel acido globosa.) 



Pistille 3, ovario superiore libero, stigmat terminal. Fructus 2, carpillis 

 3 follicularibus basi subinerveis demum divaricatis sistuis. 



Follicula disperma, seminibus erectis umbilico brun. Testa lsevi, sim- 

 plex ; vel membrum exterior tenuissima vix discreta. Raphe et chalaza 

 non cernabibilibus. 



Embryo erectus macropodus. Cotyledone maximo concavo carnoso 

 plumulam amplutente. Plumula (in semine etiam) maxima bifolia, fo- 

 liis insequalibus margine involutis. 



* Roxburgh describes the rachis as wood. I have not seen this appearance in any 

 specimen I have met with. 



Note. — Roxburgh describes the flowers as in monastachy, but there is considerable 

 difference between my two species, perhaps this may not be his Undulatum, but other- 

 wise it fully answers his description. 



