] 78 Podostemacea*. 



small scattered crowded fascicles on the upper surface of the frond, 

 linear, obtuse, scarcely a line long, of a pale reddish brown. Flowers 

 solitary, arising from the upper surface of the frond. Scales none. 

 Spathe fleshy, depressedly conical, echinate externally, open at the 

 apex. Pedicel exserted, cylindrical, about 2-lines long, covered with 

 a coat of pellucid cellular substance, which falls off after flower- 

 ing. Perigonium of three equal, free, oblong, obtuse, somewhat con- 

 cave, veinless segments, slightly imbricated in aestivation, of a greenish 

 brown color, and about one line long. Stamens 3, hypogynous, alter- 

 nating with the segments of the perigonium, exserted : filaments free, 

 complanate, scarcely 1 £-line long, all fertile : anthers elliptical, cordate 

 at the base, obtuse, 2-celled, cells bursting longitudinally internally. 

 Pollen yellow, globose. Ovary superior sessile, oblong, obtusely trian- 

 gular, 3-celled, and coated with the same deciduous cellular substance 

 as the pedicel. Ovules numerous, ascending. Stigmata 3-sessile, linear- 

 oblong, obtuse, at length deciduous. Capsules obovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 9-sulcate, 3-celled, 3-valved, with a septicidal dehiscence. Placentce at- 

 tached to the dissepiments, forming a triangular body which ultimately 

 becomes free. Seeds numerous, small, elliptical, obtuse, somewhat 

 compressed. 



Obser. — This very curious little plant differs in several 

 respects from any of the published species of the genus, but 

 essentially belongs to it. The most remarkable points con- 

 nected with it are the broad, flat, horizontal, fronds, which 

 extend widely over the rocks on which it grows, and often 

 show dichotomous ramifications, the small fasicles of leaves, 

 the very anomalous nature of the spathe, and the three 

 stamens. It offers another proof that habit cannot be much 

 depended on as a generic distinction among these plants.* 



* In my Brazilian Herbarium, I find a new species of Tristicha, which I shall 

 here describe ; and being a normal species of the genus, the description may 

 be useful to contrast with that of the Ceylon one. 



TBISTICHA BRYOIDES. Gardn. 



T. caule erecto ramoso, foliis imbricatis ellipticis vel elliptico-ovatis obtusis, 

 pedicellis axillaribus, spatha profunde bilobata lobis orbicularibus, capsula 9- 

 costata. 



Tristicha bryoides, Gardn. Herb. Fl. Brazil, n. 1844. 



Hab. — On Gneiss rocks, and on small stones, in the bed of the Rio Salgado-, 

 near Ico, Province of Ceara, Brazil. In flower and fruit in September. 



