322. S. ÜNILATERALIS Spring Mon. ii. 254.— Stems 3 -6 in. long,
erect from a decumbent base, closely pimiate, the lower branches
scarcely an inch long, but considerably compound. Leaves of the
lower plane very crowded, ovate-oblong, acute, above a line long,
rigid, pellucid, bright green, slightly falcate, conspicuously ciliated
on the upper ed g e ; tliose of the npper plane very small, suborbicular,
cuspidate. Spikes in. loug, resupinate ; bracts of the
upper plane ovate-obloug, subobtuse; of tbe lower plane ovate or
orbicular, cuspidate.
Hab. Madagascar, Bernier.
222. S. MADAGASCAEIENSIS Baker in Journ. Bot. 1885, 2 9 3 .—
Stems erect, pale straw-coloured, J -1 ft. long, copiously pinnate,
tbe lower branches with numerous compound branchlets. Leaves
of tbe lower plane spaced even on tbe branclilets, ere c to -p a ten t;
those of tbe stem^ spreading, oblong-lanceolate, acute, pale green,
membranous, a line long, very unequal-sided, broadly rounded,
serrulate, and slightly imbricated over tbe stem on tbe upper side
at tbe base ; leaves of tbe upper plane half to a third as long, ovate-
lanceolate, cuspidate. Spikes short, copious, resupinate, 1 lin.
diam. ; bracts of tbe upper plane ovate-lanceolate, ere c to -p a ten t;
of tbe lower plane pale, ovate-cuspidate, ascending.
Hab. Madagascar, near Antananarivo, Poo¿! Miss Helen Gilpin \ Closely
allied to S. chrysocaulos of the Himalayas.
324. S. M e l l e e i Balmr in Journ. Bot. 1885, 293.— Stems erect,
J ft. long, copiously pinnate, tbe erecto-patent branches copiously
compound. Leaves of the lower plane conttiguous and erecto-
patent on the branchlets, much spaced and spreading on the main
stem, oblique oblong, acute, pale green, membranous, 4 - |l i n . long,
more rigid in texture than in S. madagascariensis, not so unequal-
sided, serrulate all down the upper edge, broadly rounded, and
imbricated over the stem on the upper side at the base ; leaves of
the iipqier plane small, ovate-cuspidate. Spikes short, resupinate,
Im. diam. ; bracts of the upper plane oblong-rhomboid, obtuse,
erec to-patent; of the lower qilane ascending, ovate-cuspidate.
Hab. Madagascar, on mountainous paths a t Inbatomanga, Dr. Meller I
ia n a la , Kitclnng 1
* mollioeps Spring Mon. ii. 257. S. rubricaulis, A. Br. in
Kuhn F il. Afr. 211. S.^ Hildehmndtii A. Br .— Stems erect, densely
Lifted, 6 -9 in. long, coqiiously pinnate, the face bisulcate, the lower
branches copiously oompomid. Leaves of the lower plane contiguous
on the branchlets, spaced on the main stem, erecto-qiatent,
obhque oblong-lanceolate, acute, dark green, membranous, 1 lin.
long, \e r y iinequiil-sided, serrulate on the upper edge, broadly
rounded, shortly ciliated, and a little imbricated over the stem on
the upper side at the base ; leaves of the upper plane half to a third
as long, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, cuspidate. Spikes copious,
resupiiiate, J -i- in. long, 1 tin. diam. ; bracts of the uqiper plane
erecto-qiatent, lanceolate-rhomboid; of the lower plane ovate-
cusqiidate, ascending.
Hab. Upper Guinea, Curror\ Harter'. Angola, Welwitsch'. Manganja
Hills, alt. 3000 ft., Dr. Kirk'. Madagascar, Lyall'. Johanna Island, 1000—
2500 ft., ilildebrandt 1807 ! Dr. Meller !
826. S. SIMPLEX Baker in Journ. Bot. 1885, 293. — Stems very
slender, erect, simple, J - 4 in. long. Leaves of the lower plane
spaced, spreading, broad oblong, acute, 4 kn. long, pale green,
membranous, subentire, not ciliated, nearly equal-sided, rounded on
both sides at the base, not imbricated over the stem ; leaves of the
upper plane niinute, lanceolate-cuspidate. Spikes nearly as long
as the stem, resuqiinate, 1 lin. diam. ; bracts of the upper plane
lanceolate, membranous, sqireading, squarrose; of the lower plane
ovate-cuspidate, ascending.
Hab. Santarem, Amazon Valley, Spruce 947 !
827. S. PLATYPHYLLA Baker in Journ. Bot. 1885, 2 9 4 .— Stems
very slender, 2 -3 in. long, ascending, with root-fibres irom the
lower half, distantly qiinnately branched, the lower branches
slightly comqioiind. Leaves of the lower qilane spaced, except
towards the tip of the branchlets, oblique ovate, patent, subobtuse,
a line loug, bright greeu, membranous, rounded on both sides at
the base, more so on the upper side, not ciliated ; leaves of the
upper plane a third as long, oblique ovate. Spikes very short,
resupinate, l-1 2 th to l-8 th in. d iam .; bracts distinctly dimorphic,
those of the upper plane oblique ovate, erec to -p a ten t; of the lower
plane ovate-cuspidate, ascending.
Hab. Kaieteur Falls, Demerara, E . F. im Thurn\ A near ally of S.
Lychnuchus.
828. S. AMBIGDA A. Br. in Crypt. Nov. Gran. 370. — Stems
slender, suberect, 2 -8 in. long, copiously pinnate, the lower
branches considerably compound, the tips often produced and
whip-like. Leaves of the lower plane spaced, erecto-patent,
oblique ovate, acute, 4 - f lin. long, pale green, membranous,
broadly rounded on the uqiper side at the base and imbricated over
the stem, serrulate, not distinctly ciliated; leaves of the upper
qilane half as long, ovate, shortly cuspidate. Sqiikes short, resuqiinate,
1 lin. d iam .; bracts of the upper plane erecto-patent, oblique
ovate, crowded ; of the lower plane rather shorter, ovate-cuspidate,
strongly keeled.
Hab. Venezuela, Fendler 402 ! Cumana, Moritz 221.
329. S. L y c h n u c h u s Spring Mon. ii. 247.— Stems very slender,
suberect from a decumbent base, 3 -4 in. long, copiously qiinnate,
the lower branches slightly compound. Leaves of the lower qilane
spaced even on the branchlets, more or less ascending, oblique
ovate, acute, a line long, bright green, membranous, unequal-sided,
broadly rounded, shortly ciliated, and imbricated over the stem on
the upper side at the base ; leaves of tlie upper plane half as long,
oblique ovate, with a large cusp. Spikes short, resupinate, 4 lin.
d iam .; bracts very dimorphous, those of the upper plane ovate-
lanceolate, ereoto-pateut, slightly squarrose; those of the lower
plane pale, ovate-cuspidate, ascending.
Hab. Guatemala and Venezuela.