ï
%
Pmidc terminal. 1
diverging b
and pendulous ; composed oC i
. fiiich bcariiiOE 2, :î,or 4, middleshort
pedicellcd flo'
cxpanc
Brades oP liie brandies solit . ir-obloi of the J
oval: all have their margins ciiiate.
Cali/s short-canipaniilatc, deeply tliree-toothed.
Corol one-peulled, irregular. Tube long, slender, and curved
upward. Border double. The exlcTior is composed of five
divisions, three outer and two inner; the posterior one of
ihe first three i.s broad, lanceolate, acute, and concave ; the
anterior two obUquely-obovate ; the other (inner) two are
lanceolate, /«»^rbord.r.iu ihisspecies,considerably elevated
on a continuation of the tube, (or it may be callcd the tubular
base of the filament), forming a vertical lip, or apron to the
long slanting mouth of the tube ; the lower two rounded
tubes of this peculiar, (and in all the species I have seen),
constant appendage, are shorter than the portion of the tube
which raises them above (he exterior border; the upper
very slender cloven ends thereof extend a considerable way
up the forepart of the filament, and adhere to it on each side
of the groove formed therein for the style.
Filamenl very long and slender, but in this species less curved
than in the other ; grooved on the fore part for the reception
of the style. Anlher two-lobed, from the lower end of each
a long slender, sharp spur projects.
Gf»w inferior, oval. Style filiform- Sli^mn fn •shaped,
Capside: I ha
three ce
each ; b
think tl-
;en it only in i
vith parietal t
shalfgrown state
ceptacles, and n
; so slender, as tr
y disappear by the time the seeds :
,sis and radicalis.
I then
y seeds
ripe, as
This very bei
of Pulo-pinang,
OBSERVATiONS.
uiful plant is a native of the for
,vhere it blossoms during the n
229. GLOBBA ORIXENSIS.
Leaves oblong. Panicle terminal. Anther naked, C
Roxh.inAslal. resear. 1 1 . 3 5 8 . 8 .
Root perenni
Sims obliqui
DESCRIPTION.
,0th, from two to three fc high, including t
ives bifarious, spreading, oblong, taper-pointed, smooth on br
sides, finely veined, from 6 to 10 inches h.ng, and fn
2 to 4 broad. SheaUts little more than half stcm-ciaspir
rly erect ; composed of short,
expanding branches.
, solitary from the joints of tl
lour a dark orauge-ycllow.
,
small, one-Howered. c.iducou
.hree-ioothed.
: u r v d , widening gradually fr.
Panicle i :ermi nal.near
joi med, simple.
Flmvers sessi le, small,
the : pan licle: co
Bractcs solit; .ry, oval.Calyx c amp; muíate, t
Corol: Tubt • a littie c
24
the mouth. Exterior border of five divisions; the outer three
nearlv equal; the inner two smaller and ovate ; all are of
the slme dark orange colour, and spreading. Inner border
nearly as in the last described species, only less elevated
above the exterior five lobos, and with the lower end retuse
and scarlet, coloured in the centre.
Filamenl incurved like a fish-hook. Ayilher two-lobed, naked.
Style shorter than the tube of the corol and filament, consequently
not lodged in the usual groove of the filament, but takes a
shorter and less curved direction to reach the anther, where
its apex passes between the lobes thereof. Stigma perforated.
Cafsulc nearly rninid, firm, fieshy, and warty, one-celled, containing
many oblong seed.s, but unfortunately neither the
original drawing, nor description, take any notice of their
OBSERVATIONS,
A native of the moist valleys up amongst the mountains of the
Rajalimundry Circar, where it blossoms daring the rainy season.
IS of the Island
230. GLOBB.'X. RADICALIS.
Pankle radical. Anthf winged.
Globba radicalis. Roxb. in Asiat. resear. ll. p. S59.
Mantisia saltatoria. Sims in Botan. magai. 1B20.
DESCRIPTION.
Root perennial, composed of numerous, diverging, Jieshy fibres,
or slender tubers.
Sleins leaf-bearing, but a little to one side, from one to two feet
high.
Liaves alternate, bifarious, sessile on their sheaths, lanceolate,
with long, withered, filiform points ; villous on both sides ;
length from six to nine inches, and about one and a half
broad. S/iealks smooth, keeled on the back: the ligule, or
stipulary proces.s rises a little on each side.
Scapes radical, 3 or -t inches long, often several from the same
cluster of roots, erect, enveloped in three or four alternate,
.smooth, short sheaths.
Panicle erect, .about a foot high, including the scape, and expand
nearly as much ; the whole, exccpt the yellow inner border
of the corol, a very lively blueish-purple. Rmnifications alternate,
long, shnple, horizontal, or slightly reclined, each
small,lovely purple and yellow flowers.
Bractes solitary, light purple, smooth; of the ramifications
oblong; of the flowers cordate: all are permanent.
Floruers solitarv, sessile in the axils of their proper bractes.
above, elavate. smooth, light purple; momh ihree-toothed :
permanent, with the lower half of the tube of the corol.
Corol: Tube long and very slender, the lower half, whicli is inclo<.
ed in the tube of the calyx, projects horizontally; the
upper half erect; at the angle (nearly a right one,) which
those portions of the tube make the flower drops, leaving
the lower half to wither. Bmik-r double. Exlcrior three
parted ; (in the other species it is five-parted,) posteriordivision
erect, pressing on the back of the base of the filament,
oblong, boat-shaped ; ant
obliquely-cordate and reflexed, all the thr a light
o f t i
• deeply so
ior border ;
; pani
erlical, with both ends cloven, the
satly larger than the divisions of the
a deep orange-yellow, which forms
ie lively purple of every other part
; first day i rvcd,
Jinal ridge
lall cherry, six-ridged, one
ontaneously from the apex,
on the inside of each valve,
connected by a large white
1 receptacles.
OBSERVATIONS.
under the name of Pi-toi,
as transmitted from Canton,
SClRPCfS TUBEROSUS.
by \ f r . Duncan, at the desire of the Governor General in Coun
for the Company's Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where it blossi
about the close of the rains in September.
Filament very long, and very slen
after revoiute ; finely grooved on the underside for the
reception of the style ; near the base two very long, slender,
subulate, diverging, recurved wings. In the other species
known to me these are wanting. Anlher, cwo-lobed, and
enlarged at the sides with two, broad, reniform wings.
Germ beneath, oval, with six longitudinal ridges ; a transverse
section exhibits one cell only, with numerous seeds affixed
to three parietal receptacles. Slt/le very slender. Stigma
funnel-shaped.
Capsule globular, purple, size c
celled, [hree-valved, open
Receptacles: a longiti
Seeds many, minute, oblo
spongy membrane tt
For th
beg Ir-av
they are
ract from
OBSERVATIONS.
Found wild at Chitlagong, by Mr. W'illiara Roxburgh, and by
n introduced into the Botanic Garden at Ciilcutia in ISOI,
lere it blossomed for the first time in Jfay 1802, at which
riod the new foliage also begins to appear above ground. There
a constant succession of llowers, from the extremities of the
igtheniiig branches of ihe panicle, for nearly two raomhs.
10 refer to Abbé Grosier, and other historiaiis,
have had opportunities of observing in what mann
employed by the Chinese ; and to the following e
Mr. Duncans letter, which accompanied the plants.
"Maa-tai; Pu-tsai ; or Pi-tsi of Abbe Grosicr ; the water
" chesnut ; grows in tanks : these are manured for its reception
" about the end of March. Thus, a tank being drained of its
" water, small pits are dug in its bottom, these are filled with
" iiuman manure, and exposed to the sun for a fortnight ; their
" contents are next intimately blended with the slimy bottom of
" the tank, and the slips, or roots of the plant deposited therein ;
" the water is now returned to the tank, and the new crop of
" tubers comes to perfection by the first of September.
" This nut is in high estimation among all ranks of Chinese,
a pot-root, but also as a medicine. It is eat, either
iw. I will not vouch for the truth of the singular
ibed to the Maa-tai, but just relate one of the most
The children here often play with cash in their
lich at times slip down into the stomach, and bring
'•not only a.
" boiled on
plausible.
on alarming symptoms : The nut is immediately given in quantities,
either raw or boiled, and they say it never fails to give
relief, and is always considered as specific ; they allege it
decomposes the metal."
231. SCIRPUS TUBEROSUS.
Cidms round, jointed, leafless. Spike terminal, cylindric ; scales
oblong. Base of the style cordate. Seed obcordate, beset with
glochidate bristles.
Pi-tsi, Maa-tai, Pu-tsai, or Pe-tsi, or Water-chesnut of the
Chinese,
DESCRIPTION.
Root fibrous, with sloloniferous shoots, and round turnip-shaped
tubers.
Ck/wj erect, naked, slightly twisted to the right, inwardly intercepted
at every line, or line and a half, by a slender membrane
; every eight, or tenth of these partitions, is of a
firmer texture, and visible on the outside, even when the
plant is growing.
Leaves none, except a slender short sheath or two at the base of
each culm.
Spike terminal, solitary, cylindric.
Scales oblong, membranaceous-margined.
Stamens three.
Stj/le two, or three-cleft, at the base swelled out into an ovate-cordate,
compressed shape.
Seed obcordate, surrounded with glochidate bristles.
232. SACCIIARUM SINENSE.
Cdms 6
ovate, wit!
Corol of tv
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT WHEN IN BLOSSOM,
feet. Leaves flat, with margins hisped. Panicles
iple and compound, verticelled, reclined branches,
lives on the same side.
Stem, erect, jointed , whole height from 10 to 15 feet; most part
covered with the sheaths of the leaves; joints from foe
eight inches 1 ong, and from two to thre :e inches in circ :umference
; colc lur pale brownish yellow.
¿iiii/ijsub-bifariou s, tapering from the base, i [ensiform) to a long
fine point, pi ahi, smooth on both sides, margins armed-ivith
numerous, ,sr nail, very acute spines, pointing forw iird ;
length from t wo to three feet, and about an inch and a half
broad at the 1
Sheaths smooth, wi th a small stipulary ring , lound the insid e of
the mouth.
Panicle ovate, eret ;t; branches simple and c< impound, subvi
celled, reclin ed, long and slender. I n S. officinarmt the
branches of the panicle are scattered over the comi
raches, and ait ¡decompound, and super-dc :compound: on this
I rest the most obvious specific difference, though the habit
of the cane itself is also considerably different, independent
of the additional small inner scale, or valve of the corol.
Calyx and
Corol of t
lurrounding wool, as in th
calves on the same (antei