1103 



Cfje Creatfurg of 23tifcmtt. 



lobed; corolla bell-shaped, its tube entire 

 not split, its limb four or five-cleft, the 

 segments being unequal in size; filaments 

 short, dilated at the base, and hairy ; an- 

 thers within the corolla, detached, two of 

 them hairy ; capsule leathery. [M. T. M.J 



STRELITZIA. This gorgeous-flowered 

 genus of Musacew was so named in honour 

 of Charlotte of Meckleuburg-Strelitz, 

 the Queen of George III. The species are 

 large herbaceous plants, natives of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. Their foliage is hand- 

 some, consisting of long-stalked glaucous 

 leaves arising from a contracted stem, the 

 base of the leafstalk sheathing. The 

 common flower-stalk is encircled below by 

 the sheath of the leafstalk; while its 

 upper portion gives origin to a large bract 

 or spathe placed obliquely, within which 

 are the flowers. The perianth consists of 

 six segments, in two rows; the three outer 

 ones (sepals) are ovate lance-shaped, near- 

 ly equal, usually of a bright orange-colour ; 

 the three inner ones (petals) are unequal 

 in size; the two lower or front ones are 

 bright purple, united together, each one 

 lobed on the outer side towards the upper 

 part, so that the two united petals are 

 distinctly halbert-shaped, and conceal 

 within a fold the five perfect and one 

 sterile stamen ; the third or posterior petal 

 is much smaller than the other two, some- 

 what hooded. The style is thread-like, 

 and the stigma divided into three linear 

 branches ; fruit capsular three-celled, 

 bursting through the cells into three 

 valves; seeds numerous, with an orange- 

 coloured tuft of hairs attached to them. 



The seeds of S. regime are eaten by the 

 Kaffirs. The fine leaves and large orange 

 and purple flowers render this one of 

 the most splendid of plants. Four or five 

 species are in cultivation. S. regince is the 

 most magnificent of all, the other species 

 being in some instances smaller. ,S'. hu- 

 milis is, as it were, a reduced copy of the 

 larger kind. 



S.juncea is remarkable for the general 

 absence of a blade to the leaf, so that 

 the leafstalks resemble the stems of large 

 rushes. The writer has, however, occa- 

 sionally observed a small ovate-acute blade 

 on the top of these stalks. [M. T. M.] 



STREPTACHNE. A genus of grasses 

 belonging to the tribe Stipece. Spikelets 

 one-flowered ; florets stalked ; glumes 

 lax, with short awns; lowest pale cylin- 

 drical, upper terminating in a simple awn, 

 not jointed at the base; stamens three; 

 styles two, the stigmas feathery. The 

 three species are all natives of New Hol- 

 land. [D. M.] 



STREPTOCARPES. A genus of Gesne- 

 racecB of the tribe Cyrtandrece, inhabiting 

 Southern Africa, and consisting of herbs 

 furnished with a stem, or being altogether 

 without it. The leaves are opposite, one 

 of the pair being usually smaller than its 

 companion. From their axils arises a scape 

 bearing one (rarely two) or a panicle of 

 bluish or purplish flowers, and being coiled 



up before the unfolding of the blossoms. 

 The calyx is five-cleft ; the corolla tubulose 

 funnel-shaped , the stamens five in num- 

 ber, only two of them fertile ; and the 

 capsule pod-like, and towards the point 

 spirally twisted. [B. S.] 



STREPTOCAULON A genus of Ascle- 

 piadacece, containing six species of twin- 

 ing plants, generally pubescent or tomen- 

 tose, natives of India and the Eastern 

 Archipelago. They have opposite leaves, 

 and small flowers in interpetiolar cymes. 

 The calyx is five-parted; the corolla ro- 

 tate and five-parted, with five scales in the 

 throat alternate with the segments; the 

 filaments are distinct, and the anthers are 

 united to the lower margin of the stigma; 

 the pollen-masses are granular ; the stigma 

 is pentagonal ; and the follicles are cylin- 

 drical spreading and smooth, and contain 

 many comose seeds. [W, C] 



STREPTODESMA. A low scrubby rigid 

 and thorny shrub from the deserts of 

 Patagonia, forming a genus of Leguminosce 

 of the tribe Hedysarece, scarcely to be 

 distinguished from Adesmia, except by the 

 pods consisting of globular joints, and 

 more or less spirally twisted within the 

 calyx and persistent corolla. 



STREPTOLIRION. A genus referred to 

 Cmnmelynacece by some authors, and to 

 Trilliacece by others. They are Indian 

 plants, with the characters very nearly the 

 same as in Tmdescantia, only differing in 

 the petals being small (shorter than the 

 sepals), and the anthers, which are all 

 perfect as in that genus, shaped like the 

 sterile ones of Aneilema. The habit, how- 

 ever, is very different, resembling that of 

 Smilax; as it has a twining stem, and ovate 

 cordate-acuminate leaves. The flowers are 

 in axillary and terminal racemes, contain- 

 ing from two to six blossoms ; the filaments 

 bearded with yellow hairs. [J. T. S.] 



STREPTOPUS. A genus of Melanthacece, 

 consisting of perennial herbaceous plants, 

 with creeping rootstocks, from which are 

 thrown up ovate net-veined leaves, which 

 embrace the stem, and whose under-sur- 

 face is woolly. The flowers are usually 

 solitary, stalked, the stalks curiously bent 

 in the middle ; the perianth is six-parted 

 deciduous bell-shaped ; ovary three-celled ; | 

 ovules numerous ; style thread-shaped ; ! 

 fruit succulent ; seeds numerous, whitish, ; 

 with a loose coating. Three or four spe- | 

 cies are in cultivation in English gardens, | 

 having been originally imported from \ 

 North America Hungary and Nepal. The 

 generic name is derived from sti-eptos 

 'twisted,' and pous 'a foot,' in allusion to 

 the bent flower-stalks. [M. T. M.] 



STREPTOSTIGMA. A name given by 

 Thwaites to a sapindaceous tree from Cey- 

 lon, which proves to be a congener of 

 Harpulia of Roxburgh. Presl gave the 

 same name to the Thinogeton, a seacoast 

 herb from Western Tropical America be- 

 longing to Solanacece. 



STRIDE (adj. STRIATE). Streaks; auy I 



