CL. XYRIDEJ2. 
349 
Xyris.] 
Leaves thin grassy, narrowly linear acuminate, edges thickened, 
scabrid, 3 to 10 in. long, -06 to -12 in. wide. Scapes 6 to 15 in. long, 
two-keeled. Head globose or ovoid, few-flowered. Bracts convex, 
edge green. Petals yellow, broadly ovate. Hab. Damp grassy 
spots. Common. Singapore, Reservoir; Balestier Plain. Pahang, 
Pekan. Province Wellesley, Bukit Juru. Lankawi isles, Kwah. 
Setul Heath. Dislrib. India, China, Malay and Australia. 
(5) X. oreophila Ridl. Journ. F.M.S. Mus. vii. 121. (Fig. 202, 
p. 348 ) . 
Tufted plant, 12 to 18 in. tall. Leaves flaccid acuminate, 8 in. 
long, 1 in. wide or rigid and narrower. Culms 8 to 18 in. tall. Head 
obovoid, *2 in. long. Glumes oblong, lower ones truncate emarginate 
with a pale low keel. Flowers *3 in. long, tube exsert. Petals 
oblong-obovate minutely toothed, -15 in. wide. Fruit fusiform. 
Hab. Kedah Peak, at 3,000 ft. altitude (Robinson). 
(6) X. Ridleyi Rendlc, Journ. Bot. 1899, p. 505, PI. 404, Figs. 
12 to 16; Ridl. Mat. ii. 112. 
A dwarf tufted plant with narrow linear herbaceous leaves 
dilate at base, reddish, 7 to 8 in. long, -<*6 in. wide. Scapes 9 to 
15 in. tall or less, sub-terete, keeled. Head obovoid, -25 in. long 
or more. Bracts ovate, dark brown, keeled, few. Bracteoles 
linear falcate not keeled. Capsule oblong unilocular. Seed ellip¬ 
soidal. Hab. Grassy open spots, on mountains, at 3000 to 5500 ft. 
altitude. Pahang, on Gunong Tahan, abundant. Kedah Peak 
at 3000 ft. altitude (Ridley, Robinson). 
(7) X. bancana Miq. FI. Ind. Bat. Suppi. 608; Hook. fil. l.c. 
66; Ridl. Mat. ii. 112. 
Dwarf tufted plant. Leaves flat linear-acuminate, very narrow, 
1 to 1-25 in. long. Scapes few, very slender, terete, 9 to 10 in. long. 
Head small, few-flowered, obconic, -12 to -25 in. long. Bracts 
ovate sub-acute. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate ciliate. Hab. Local 
in open sandy spots. Pahang, at Pekan. Malacca near the sea 
(Griffith, Maingay). Dislrib. Bangka, Labuan. 
Order CLI. COMMELINACE^. 
Herbs erect or ascending (rarely scandent). Leaves thin 
herbaceous with parallel nerves usually petioled, and sheathing. 
Inflorescence panicled cymose (rarely racemose). Flowers bi¬ 
sexual rarely unisexual. Perianth inferior. Sepals 3, herbaceous. 
Petals 3, thin, fugacious blue, white or pink or rarely yellow. 
Stamens 6, perfect, or 2 or more sterile; filaments often bearded; 
anthers oblong or globose. Ovary free, 2- or 3 _ c e llcd. St^le 1. 
Stigma small. Capsule usually loculicidal, rarely indehiscent. 
Seeds angled sometimes arillate. Species about 300, tropics and 
subtropics. 
