204 
ANEILEMA longifolia. 
Long-leaved ATieilema. 
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA.— Nat. Ord. COMMELINEM, Br. 
Gen. Char. — Perianthium 6-partitura, inaequale : foliola 3 exteriora calycinay 
persistentia : interiora petaloidea, decidua. Stamina 6. Antherce 3 (vel 
2-4), dissimiles, vix polliniferae. Involucrum nullum. — Herbae diffusce v. 
erectce. Foliorum vagince integrce. Inflorescentia vaga, subpaniculata. 
—Br. 
Aneilema longifolia ; glabra, caule erecto, foliis linearibus acuminatis 
basi ciliatis, paniculae ramis bracteatis submultifloris, filamentisyi^r- 
tilibus barbatis, abortivis nudis triglandulosis. 
About a foot high. Leaves rather crowded at the base, the rest distant, li- 
near-lanceolate, like those of many grasses, acuminate, striated, sheath- 
ing and ciliated at the base ; the rest of the plant glabrous. Panicle 
terminal, lax, the lower branches remote, leafy, the upper ones more 
crowded, and, as well as each branchlet, bracteated. 
Flowers drooping before expansion. Calyx of 3 ovato-greenish leaflets. 
Corolla pale purple of 3 broadly obovate, very obtuse, veined, spread- 
ing, rather unequal petals. Three lowermost stamens fertile: their ^/a- 
ments clothed with purple hairs ; Anthers oblong. Three upper ones abor- 
tive : their ^laments naked, tipped with 3 club-shaped yellow glands. 
Pistil: Germen ovate: style filiform, curved: stigma acute. Capsule 
ovate, 3-celled, 3-valved. Dissepiments in the middle of each valve, 
with 2 ovate, depressed seeds on each side. 
The genus Aneilema was established by Mr Brown, and 
was intended to include, besides the Commelina vaginata, spi- 
cata, and medica, &c. ten species, which are natives of New 
Holland. Dr Roxburgh, too, has described and figured some 
new species in the collection at the India House. From all 
these the present individual appears to difFer. It is a native 
of stagnant waters in the Island of Zanzibar, and was disco- 
vered there by Messrs Helsinger and Bojer. From the 
VOL. III. 
