THE FLORA OF THE MALAY· PENINSULA

Xyris.] CL. XYRIDE..£. 349
Leaves thin grassy, narrowly linear acuminate, edges thickened,
scabrid, 3 to 10 in. long, '06 to '12 in. wide. Scapes 6 to IS in. long,
two-keeled. Head globose or ovoid, few-flowered. Bracts convex,
edge green. Petals yellow, broadly ovate. Hab. Damp gra'isy
spots. Common. Singapore, Reservoir; Balestier Plain. Pahang,
Pekan. Province Wellesley, Bukit Juru. Lankawi isles, Kwah.
Setul Heath. Disirib. India, China, Malay and Australia.
(5) X. oreophila Ridl. Journ. F.M.S. Mus. vii. 121. (Fig. 202"
p. 348 )
Tufted plant, IZ to 18 in. tall. Leaves flaccid acuminate, 8 in.
long, I in. wide or rigid and narrower. Culms 8 to 18 in. tall. Head
obovoid, ·z in. long. Glumes oblong, lower ones truncate emarginate
with a pale low keel. Flowers'3 in. long, tube exsert. Petals
oblong-obovate minutely toothed, '15 in. wide. Fruit fusiform.
Hab. Kedah Peak, at 3,000 ft. altitude (Robinson).
(6) X. Ridleyi Rendle, joltm. Bot. 1899, p. 505, Pl. 404, Figs.
IZ to 16; Ridl. Mat. ii. lIZ.
A dwarf tufted plant with narrow linear herbaceous leaves
dilate at base, reddish, 7 to 8 in. long, '06 in. wide. Scapes 9 to
IS in. tall or less, sub-terete, keeled. Head obovoid, 'z5 in. long
or more. Bracts ovate, dark brown, keeled, few. Bracteoles
linear falcate not keeled. Capsule oblong unilocular. Seed ellipsoidal.
Hab. Grassy open spots, on mountains, at 3000 to 5500 ft.
altitude. Pahang, on Gunong Tahan, abundant. Kedah Peak
at 3000 ft. altitude (Ridley, Robinson).
(7) X. bancana Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. Sttppl. 608; Hook. fil. l.e.
66; Ridl. Mat. ii. lIZ.
Dwarf tufted plant. Leaves flat linear-acuminate, very narrow,
I to I'z5 in. long. Scapes few, very slender, terete, 9 to 10 in. long.
Head small, few-flowered, obconic, 'IZ to 'z5 in. long. Bracts
ovate sub-acute. Bracteoles linear-Ianceolate ciliate. Hab. Local
in open sandy spots. Pahang, at Pekan. Malacca near the sea
(Griffith, Maingay). Distrib. Bangka, Labuan.
ORDER CLI. COMMELINACElE.
/'
Herbs erect or ascending (rarely scandent). Leaves thin
herbaceous with parallel nerves usually petioled, and sheathing.
Inflorescence panicled cymose (rarely racemose). Flowers bisexual
rarely unisexual. Perianth inferior. Sepals 3, herbaceous.
Petals 3, thin, fugacious blue, white or pink or rarely yellow.
Stamens-6, perfect, or Z or more sterile; filaments often bearded;
anthers oblong or globose. Ovary free, z- or 3-celled. Style I.
Stigma small. Capsule usgally loculicidal, rarely indehiscent.
Seeds angled som-etimes aiillate. Species about 300, tropics and
subtropics.