verging, green, entirely covering the anthers in the early
state, crested at the top, the crest formed of many narrow,
simple or branched segments. Filaments membranous, pale
green, or whitish, united closely together into a tube, split at
the top into two short lobes. Anthers eight, innate, orange,
one-celled, parallel, united together, and opening by an
oblique foramen. Ovarium obovate, compressed, two-
celled : ovules solitary, pendulous. Style shorter than the
ovary, compressed, dilated upwards. Stigma bilabiate ;
lower lip concave, slightly mucronulate, purple, straight,
in the early stage inclosing the upper lip, which is not
above half the length, glanduliform, green and reflexed.
Capsule two-celled, two-valved, compressed, nearly orbicular,
minutely dotted, notched at the top, narrowed at the
base, but sessile, and furnished with a double membranous
border. Partition simple, thin and membranous, narrow,
contrary to the cells, the edge towards the axis of the
spike. Seeds oblong, solitary, clothed with soft hairs.
Arillus attached to the base of the seed, succuleift, parted
into three oblong, obtuse, converging lobes. Testa threefold
; the outermost a thin membranous pellicle, closely
adhering to the intermediate one, which is crustaceous, and
of a dark chocolate colour ; the innermost thin, membranous,
cellular, and of a pale yellow colour, closely adhering
to the albumen, which is copious, fleshy and white.
Embryo straight, yellow. Cotyledons oval, obtuse, flat,
somewhat convex outwardly. Radicle obtuse, slightly
compressed, half the length of the cotyledons.—D. Don.