222 
MARICA CCERULEA. 
Large blue-floiuered Marica. 
TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA.— Nat. Obd. IRIDEJE. 
Gen. Chah Cor. 6-partita, laciniis alternis, minoribus. Stigmata 3, peta- 
loidea. Stamina cum stigmatibus alterna. — Spreng. 
Marica ccerulea ; foliis ensiformibus aequitantibus, scapo alato multi- 
floro, laciniis corollse exterioribus rotundato-ellipticis patentibus. 
Marica ccerulea, Bot. Reg. t. 713— Spreng. Sp. PL v. i. p. l65. 
Root of many strong, branching fibres, bearing several shoots. Leaves all 
radical, equitant, ensiform, with the margins membranaceous, and a 
strong central rib. Scape flat, much resembling the leaves, and termi- 
nating in a bivalved spatha, from which proceed 3 or more peduncles, 
each again crowned with a partial bivalved spatha, and including seve- 
ral flowers, which open in succession. The valves of the getieral spatha 
are unequal, and open at the apex ; the partial ones are closed, equal in 
length, and about as long as the angular pedicels. 
Corolla superior, 6-cleft, alternate and outer segments large, broadly ellip- 
tical, mucronate, spreading, concave ; the inner ones much smaller, 
spreading below, then bent inwards, and in the upper half revolute. 
The lower third of the limb of the corolla forms a shallow cup, which 
is pubescent, transversely variegated with brown and yellow within, 
yellow without; the remainder of the limb is glabrous; the colour o£ 
the segments a beautiful ultramarine blue, the smaller ones with oblique 
veins of white. The pubescence above alluded to has a frosted appear- 
ance. It discharges a transparent fluid, and disappears as soon as touch- 
ed. 
Filaments of the stamens erect, opposite to the larger segments of the co- 
rolla, thin, flat, with a prominent keel on the outside, white, purple and 
dilated at the base, and inserted into the base of the corolla: Anthers 
half the length of the filament, of two dark purple lateral cells. Pollen 
greenish-yellow. 
Pistil: germen obtusely triangular, 3-celled, with numerous ovules attach- 
ed to the inner angle of the cells ; style clavate, tricarinate, reddish- 
purple ; stigmas 3, petaloid, cleft at the apex, so as greatly to resemble 
a personate corolla, compressed, the edges turned outwards, and insert- 
ed between the cells of the anthers, which grasp them, and thus sup- 
VoL. III. 
