30 



ferous. Stem cylindrical, 3-5 feet high, 3-4 inches diameter. Spike 

 drooping or erect ; bracts pale blue or reddish-lilac. Fruit oblong, 

 2-3 inches long, but little pulp, scarcely edible. Seeds ^ inch 

 diameter, black, tubercled. Distribution : — Eastern Himalayas and hills 

 of Concan. Flowered at Kew in 1881 and 1890. Introduced to Europe 

 from Mauritius about 1805. 



28. M. salaccensis, Zolling. Stem slender. Leaves thin, oblong, 

 bracts pale lilac. Fruit oblong, full of seed ; latter dull brown, | inch 

 diameter. Distribution : — Mountains of Java and Sumatra. Described 

 from specimens in the Calcutta herbarium, dried by Kurz, from the 

 Buitenzorg Garden. Cosely allied to M. rosacea. 



29. M. velutina, Wendl. and Dmde, in Regel. Gartenfl., 1875, 65, 

 t. 823 ; M. dasycarpa, Kurz, Habit of M. sanguinea. Bracts bright red, 

 pubescent on the outside. Calyx pale yellow. Fruit velvety, bright red. 

 Distribution : — Throughout the forests of Assam (Mann). Introduced 

 to cultivation in 1875. Differs from sanguinea and aurantiaca by its 

 red pubescent fruit. 



*30. M. coccinea, Andr. Bot. Rep. t. 47 ; Bot. Mag. t. 1559 ; 

 North Gallery, No. 696. Stem stoloniferous, slender, finally 4-5 

 feet high. Rachis erect. Sp'ke dense, erect ; bracts bright red 

 or tipped with yellow. Fruit oblong-trigonous, not edible. Seeds 

 very small. Distribution .- — Southern China and Cochin China. In 

 the latter country it is called Chuoi tau. Introduced into cultivation in 

 1791 *and now uidely spread. Specimens of fibre prepared from this 

 species are in the Kew Museum from Jamaica, prepared by Nathaniel 

 Wilson, and also from Mauritius. 



31. M. rosea, Hort. Calcutt. Stem stoloniferous. Habit of M. 

 coccinea but leaves shorter and broader. Spike short, erect ; rachis 

 pubescent not flexuose ; bracts pale red. Fruit and seeds not seen. 

 Described from two specimens in the Calcutta herbarium that flowered 

 in the Botanic Garden there in June 1882. 



*32. M. sanguinea, Hooh.f. in Bot. Mag. t. 5975. Stem very slender, 

 4-5 feet high. Stoloniferous. Bracts bright red. Calyx bright yellow. Fruit 

 oblong-trigonous, 2 inches long, rather pulpy, pale yellow-green variegated 

 with red, glabrous. Seeds angled by pressure, small, black, tubercled. 

 Distribution: — Upper Assam (District Lukhimpore) Mahuni forest, 

 (Mann.). Introduced into cultivation in 1872. M. assamica, Hort. 

 Bull, is an allied plant, at present imperfectly known ; it may prove to be 

 distinct. Specimens of the fruits with seeds of M. sanguinea, ripened in 

 the Palm House at Kew in 1872, are in the Museum. 



*33. M. rubra, Wall. Habit of M. coccinea. Bracts bright red. 

 Fruit in 3-4 clusters of 3-4 each, cylindrical. Seeds smooth, dull 

 brown, \ inch diameter. Distribution : — Rangoon and Yomah, Pegu. 

 Differs from M. coccinea by its short petal. [Bot. Mag. t. 7451.] 



*34. M. Mannii, Wendl.; Bot. Mag. t. 7311. Stoloniferous. Stem 

 cylindrical, slender, tinged with black, 2 feet high and with a girth of 

 3^ inches at the base. Rachis with spike erect ; bracts of female 



