131 



shade. This may be one of the red leaved ones we cultivate, but the 

 description is too incomplete. 



H. AUREO-STRIATA, Bull. A tufted plant, about 5 feet tall. Leaves 

 elliptic acute, base oblique not decurrent, 2 feet — 2-j feet long by 8-10 

 inches wide, nerves \% inch apart, when young green streaked trans- 

 versely with yellow, adults plain light green dull, petiole li-2 feet long 

 green. Inflorescence of three or four bracts on a short peduncle, all 

 glabrous. Bracts long acuminate rather narrow the lowest one 7 

 inches long including the rather narrow leaf like portion, upper ones 

 6 inches green. Flowers fairly numerous. Bracteole lanceolate acumi- 

 nate pale green 3 inches long. Ovary narrowed into pedicel in flower 

 1 inch long with pedicel, orange. Perianth li inch long curved orange 

 at base passing into white sepals lanceolate acuminate acute. Stamens 

 long. Anthers linear acuminate. Staminode ovate. Fruit i inch long, 

 obconic 3 angled, orange. Native country not known. 



H. illustkis, Bull. H. ncbro-striata, Hort. A large tufted 

 plant, with stems flattened 4 feet tall, 3 inches wide green, petiole 2 

 feet long and 1 inch thick, reddish to pink or plain green, blade 5 feet 

 long 8 inches across oblong, narrowed at the base so as to be shortly 

 decurrent on the petiole above dark green above with a coppery lustre 

 beneath, midrib channelled on the upper surface pink, edge of blade red, 

 nerves conspicuous i an inch apart elevated on the upper surface ; 

 young leaves elliptic rather abruptly rounded and only shortly decur- 

 rent, dark green with numerous and close rose pink or often white 

 streaks above midrib green almost disappearing before the tip, back of 

 leaf bright rose pink with green streaks. Inflorescence about 8 

 or 9 inches long, rachis green finely pubescent. Boat shaped bracts 

 4-5, the lowest tipped with an ovate acute blade resembling the leaf 

 in colour, the others with or without a small blade, green pubescent 

 tipped red 7-6 inches long. Flowers numerous in each bract. Bracteole 

 lanceolate acuminate acute 3 inches long Flowers shortly pedicelled, 

 pedicel thick white glabrous t of an inch long, ovary as long flattened 

 on the inner side yellowish, red in the upper part. Sepal greenish to 

 creamy yellow base and apex red, lanceolate acuminate acute 2 inches 

 long. Petals narrower and shorter similarly colored. Stamens white 

 connate at the base. Staminode 2 an inch long lanceolate rather broad 

 channelled. Fruit red i inch long. 



H. SPECTABILIS, Lind. 111. Hort. 1892 PI. 156. Whole plant about 

 12 feet tall. Leaves linear oblong acute, narrowed to base, margins 

 undulate, nerves about l-li inch apart conspicuous midrib thick 

 coppery red, beneath, deep purple above, occasionally turning green 

 4 foot 10 inches long 11 inches wide, petiole sheathing for nearly 

 all its length long green or yellowish mottled and dotted with 

 greyish green. Inflorescence 8 inches long, rachis flexuous velvety 

 pubescent. Bracts 6 lanceolate acuminate pubescent ribbed when dry, 

 olivaceous passing into red 6 inches long one inch deep, distant from 

 each other one inch. Flowers numerous, pedicels f inch long glabrous. 

 Prerianth li inch long curved acuminate greenish and red. Sepals « 

 inch wide. Filament of stamen rather stout, anther linear, staminode 

 oblong truncate 2 long. Introduced in 1891 by Linden from "Asia."' 



