60 



.101'RNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



nntcuht ta=Hydromestus. 



Marg-aritae, E. Mom (fig. « Belg. Hort." xxxiii. (1883), 315, t. 19) ; 

 " Gard. Chron." ii. (1887), p. 585. — Brazil. Softly pubescent. 

 Leaves 5-6 inches long, 2 inches broad, elliptic, olive-green above, 

 the main veins prominently white-banded, underneath purplish or 

 red ; spike terminal, short, bracts pectinate ; flowers orange or 

 yellow, well exserted. A very beautiful species. 



mediaurata, Cogn. & March, (fig. "PL Ornem." (1873), t. 30).— 

 Colombia. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, sinuate, bright green with 

 yellowish central band ; flowers not seen. 



nitens, Hook. (fig. " Bot. Mag." t. 5741). — Guayaquil, Colombia. 

 Leaves ovate, subacute, leathery, glossy-bronze above, purple 

 beneath, 5-6 inches long, petiole H inch ; spikes terminal, 

 6 inches long, narrower than in aurantiaca, tetragonous, with 

 many imbricate, adpressed, subulate, slightly serrated, 1-inch long 

 bracts; flowers large, scarlet. See also " Fl. des Serres," 981, 

 and "Fl. Mag." 365. A very handsome species in the way of 

 m aurantiaca, but with most striking bronze-like foliage. 



var. Sinitzini (fig. "111. Hort." xxiii. t. 231) only differs from 

 the type in the main veins being white-banded. 



ornata, Anders., " Journ. Bot." ii. (1864), 289 ; (fig. "Belg. Hort," 

 1865, t. 33) ; " Gard. Chron." ii. (1887), 585.— Brazil, prov. Bahia. 

 Leaves elliptic, 8-10 inches long, with a large, broad, pale band 

 down the centre ; petioles and flower-stalks reddish ; spike ter- 

 minal, 6 inches long ; bracts large, ovate, acuminate, hairy, tinged 

 purplish ; flowers large, yellow, tube long, w r ell produced beyond 

 the bracts. Nearly allied to Hydromestus. 



pectinata, DC, "Prod." xi. 297. — South America, Mexico, St. 

 Vincent. Leaves ovate to elliptic-oblong, acute, attenuated into 

 the petiole, pubescent beneath ; spikes terminal ; bracts ovate, 

 cuspidate, pubescent, serrated towards the apex ; corolla 2 inches 

 long, pubescent, 2-lipped, the upper one bidentate, bi-appendiculate 

 near the base, the lower acuminate, revolute. 



Porteana, Morel (fig. " FL des Serres," ser. i. x. (1854-5), 41, t. 984). 

 — Brazil. Leaves large, lanceolate-oblong, cuspidate, decurrent 

 into the petiole, white-banded along the midrib ; flowers in a 

 broad, terminal head ; bracts orange, broadly obovate, subacute at 

 the apex ; corolla yellow, half of the curved tube hidden in the 

 bracts. 



var. clava, Morel (fig. " Wawra Reise Max." t. 614).— Spike 

 terminal, short, oval, 3 inches long by 1^ inch in diameter ; 

 bracts large, spathulate, spinous-acute, red ; corolla yellow, 

 2 inches long, tube hidden in the bracts. 



prismatica = Hydromestus. 



albidis, 1-2 poll, longis, infer, interdum usque ad 3 poll.; nervis subtus crassis, supra 

 subobsoletis ; spicu terniinali, sessili, tetragona, L£— 2 poll, longa ; bracteis imbricatis, 

 ovali-oblongis, longissime acuminatis, £-poll. longis, infra viridibus, supra fuscis, 

 apice versus serratis; Mores rubri fere 2-polL longi, corolla glabra, tubus incurvus 

 Infra oylindriooe supra gradaftim ampliatas, limbos 2-labiatus, labio postico breviter 

 2 LobO| arcuato, labio antico 3-lobo, retiexo-patente. 



