Philydrum .] 
CXLIX. PHILYDRACE7E. 
347 
1. PHILYDRUM, Banks. 
Leaves long ensiform. Spike elongate. Species i. 
(i) Ph. lanuginosum Banks, Gaertn. Fruct. 62, t. 16, fig. 10; 
Bot. Mag. t. 783; Griff. Notulce, iii. 231; Ic. PI. As. t. 269 270; 
Hook. fil. F.B.I. vi. 363; Ridl. Mat. ii. no. (Fig. 201, p. 34°.) 
Leaves ensiform, 18 in. long, *5 in. wide. Stem 30 in. tall. 
Spike simple or branched. Floral bracts lanceolate acuminate 
woolly, -5 in. long. Petals fugacious, woolly lanceolate, -25 in. 
long. ‘ Anther-cells twisted spirally. Capsule woolly, -25 in. long. 
Hab Inshallow water, rice-fields, etc. Singapore at Bedok. Malacca; 
common, Bukit Sabukor; Tanjong Kling; Ayer Panas. Province 
Wellesley (Curtis). Distrib. Burma, Andamans, China, Malaya, 
Order CL. XYRIDE7E. 
Tufted herbs with stiff, grassy leaves, and simple scapes, naked, 
bearing a short terminal head of stiff dark brown imbricating bracts. 
Flowers sessile bisexual, fugacious, yellow. Bracteoles (or sepals) 
3, boat-shaped, unequal. Petals 3, clawed, orbicular, often lacini- 
ate, yellow. Stamens 3; anthers sagittate. Staminodes 3. Ovary 
free,' imperfectly 3-celled; placentas 3 ; ovules many; style trifid; 
stigmas capitate. Capsule 3-valved. Seeds very numerous, linear 
or ellipsoid. 
XYRIS, Linn. 
Characters of the order. Distribution, tropics of both hemi¬ 
spheres. Species about 80. All tropics. 
Leaves quite fiat and broad. 
Leaves -5 in. across, sword-shaped; flowers small . (1) X. grandis 
Leaves -25 in. across, linear acute; flowers large . (2) X. indica 
Leaves narrow linear. 
Scape 2-edged; leaves stiff rigid, heads cylindnc, 
over '5 in. long . - - • ( 3 ) X. anceps 
Scape terete ; leaves small flaccid, heads sub-globose, 
•25 in. long.. • (4) X. pauciflora 
Scape terete; leaves long flat, narrow, heads obovoid, 
■5 in. long.(5) X. oreophila 
Slender short-leaved plant; heads globose . . (6) X. Ridleyi 
Dwarf plant; leaves very short tufted; heads small, 
few-flowered . . . . • • • (7) X. bancana 
(1) X. grandis Ridl. Jotirn. Linn. Soc. xxxviii. 332; Journ. 
F.M.S.Mus. ii. 138. , , . , ., , 
A very large species. Leaves sword-shaped acuminate equitant, 
24 in long 75 in. wide. Scape shorter, 19 in. long. Head obovoid, 
•5 in. through. Bracts lanceolate acute, -5 in. long, dark brown. 
Flowers rather small. Sepals lanceolate acute, dark brown. Petals 
cuneate-oblong, edges lacerate. Hab. In damp wooded spots, 
in mountains at 5000 ft. altitude and upwards, Pahang, Gunong 
