two produced leaves, and the flower-stem, with several small 
sheath-leaves outside which split up into fibres. Petiole 
dilated at the base, firm, erect, half a foot or more long, 
channelled down the face ; blade lanceolate, acute, chartaceous, 
above a foot long, narrowed from above the middle to the 
point and petiole, bright green on both sides, with the 
copious fine regular veins rather oblique as regards the 
midrib. Peduncle dark purple, erect, two or three inches 
long. Spike drooping, lax, about as long as the peduncle ; 
bracts large, deltoid, persistent. Perianth campanula te, dark 
purple, half an inch in diameter, the reflexing deltoid segments 
as long as the campanulate tube. Anthers sessile at the 
throat of the tube. Ovary globose, minute; style fleshy, 
cylindrical, reaching up to the top of the tube ; stigma, large, 
peltate, fleshy, convex, distinctly six-lobed round the border, 
filling up the whole mouth of the tube and concealing the 
stamens. — /. D„ Baker. 
Fig. 1, Flower cut open to show the stigma ; 2, a sixth part of the perianth, 
showing the shape and insertion of the anther both magnified. 
