Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/357

 329 A NEW GENUS OF COMMELINACEiE. By H. N. Kidley, M.A., F.L.S. (Plate 360.) About two years ago Mr. Machado, who was residing at Legeh — a little-explored region in the north-east of the Malay Peninsula to the north of Tringganu — sent to the Botanic Gardens of Singa- pore a number of very interesting plants, some dried and others alive. Among the latter was a single plant of rather striking appearance, which in due course flowered, and proved to be a very distinct genus of Commelinacece. It was propagated by division, and a plant is now in the Koyal Gardens, Kew. The following is a description of it : — Spatholirion, gen. n. Herba acaulis, foliis ovatis cordatis ob- tusis petiolatis, petiolis pubescentibus, laminis gequantibus, crassi- usculis. Scapus lateralis axillaris quam folia brevior erectus paniculatus, basi longe nudus. Panicula pauci-ramosa, ramis bre- vissimis, primo in spatha magna cymbiformi mucronata inclusa. Flores tenues dioici ; feminei pauci in panicula brevissima juxta spatham ; masculi plures in parte terminali. Feminei : Sepala 3 ovata obtusa extus pubescentia. Petala linearia glabra breviora. Stamina 6 sterilia, aliter iis floris masculi similia. Ovarium cylin- dricum in stylo crasso tereti attenuatum. Stigma capitatum tri- lobum. Ovula plura. Masculi minores : Sepala lanceolato-ovata extus pubescentia. Petala subaequilonga linearia acuta. Stamina 6, filamentis gracilibus erectis cum fasciculis capillorum supra basin ornatis. Antheris terminalibus globosis, bilocularibus. Pistillum nullum. Capsula (immatura) oblonga, triquetra. S. ornatum, sp. unica. Folia 6-7, laminis 4 pollices longis et sequilatis atroviridibus superne glabris maculis albis ornatis inferne pubescentibus purpurascentibus, petiolis quatuor pollices longis vel ultra crassiusculis canaliculatis basi vaginantibus brunneo- pubescentibus. Scapus basi nudus et cum rachide et ramis pur- pureus, ad sex pollices longus, ramis vix ^ poUicis longis. Spatha persistens crassa ovata cymbiformis mucronata 1|- poll, longa, purpurascenti-viridis, primo paniculam omnino involvens, mox aperta deflexa. Flores tenues rosei, vix ultra J pollicis lati, feminei 3-4 in cymula brevissima spatham approximate Masculi plurimi minores in panicula brevi-ramosa terminali basi longe (ad poUicem) nuda. Flores feminei : Sepala extus pubescentia rosea. Petala breviora angustiora glabra rosea. Stamina quam sepala breviora sterilia. Pistillum glabrum aurantiacum, ovarium cylin- dricum superne in stylo tereti crasso attenuato. Stigma mediocre capitatum trilobum. Flores masculi paullo minores : Sepala an- gustiora extus pubescentia rosea. Petala aequilonga pallidiora, angustiora acuta. Stamina 6, filamentis gracilibus flavis, fasciculis capillorum moniliformium supra bases munitis ; antheris termi- nalibus globosis 4-lobis. Pistillum nullum. Legeh, ad Tomoh, coll. A. D. Machado. Journal op Botany. — Vol. 34. [Aug. 1896.] z