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PLATE DI.
H E L L E N I A ALLUGH
C e r j ï o n Hellenia.
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CLASS L ORDER L
MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA. One Chive. One Pointal.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
CALYX tubulosusj bifidus. Corolla tripartita,
laciniarum apicibus cucullatis. Nectarium
quadrifidum. Capsula globosa, et trivalvis,
septo duplici inclusa, polysperma. Semina
nrillata.
EMPALEMENT tubular, t\vo.cleft. Blossom threedivided;
the points of the segments are
hooded. Nectarium four-cleft. Seed-vessel
round, and three-valved, enclosed in a
double loculameni, many-seeded. Seeds
arillated.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
HBLLENIA foliis lanceolatis, vaginantibus : floribus
ill racerais terminalibus odoratissimis.
Habitat in paludibus Zeylanicis.
HELLENIA with lance-shaped sheathing leaves,
with terminal racemes of flowers, which
are very sweet-scented.
Native of the marshes about Columbo.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The spathe.
2. The sheath which crowns the seed-bud, cut open.
3. A flower divested of tlie chives and nectary.
4 . The honey-cup.
5. Seed-bud, chives, and pointal.
6. The seed-bud and pointal, summit magnified.
7. The capsule.
8. The same divested of its outer coat.
9. A central branched cord that connects the lobes,
10. One of the lobes of the seed-vessel,
11. The same shown inside, witli the seeds exposed and one lifted f rom its cell
12. A seed without its arillus, or skinny coat.
THIS fine Monandrous plant was named Hellenia by Willdenow, after his friend Professor Helleniusi
i f h a h e i R ^ r Cmgalese, from the fruit when young appearing as if sprinkled
with asnes. Bu> mann m hi^Thesaurus Zeylanicus, p. 54 7 informs us that the Allughas grows abundantly
m the marshes about Columbo; that the flowers are very odoriferous, and are m!de into conserves ^ d
used as CO dials to strengthen the head and stomach; from the fruit and seed an oil is e.Ktracted that is
r f r T c-lin " Linnaean Transactions, has ranked
under the genus Aipin.a; but the filamentary system of that gentleman we think infinitely too slender
to support die great d.iFerence existing between the fruit of our plant and that of Alpinia
Our figure vvas made from a fine living specimen, and the only one that has ever flowered in this
country, raised from seed by A, B, Lambert, esq, "UWUILU mis
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