BURMANNIATEX, Burmanniads. the Burmannia Tribe, a natural order of plants belonging to Lindley's group of Epigynous Endogens. It was first constituted by Sprengel as a separate order, and is sometimes made a section of A maryll idams. The species of plants belonging to this order are herbaceous, with tufted radicle, acute leaves, or none at all, with terminal flowers, which are sessile upon a 2- or 3-branched rachis, or solitary. The' flowera are her maphrodite; the perianth tubular, superior, coloured, membranous, with 6 teeth, the 3 inner ones minute, the outer larger, with a wing or keel at the back ; the stamens 3, inserted in tho tube opposite the petals, with seaside 2-celled anthers opening transversely with a fleshy connective, and sometimes 3 sterile stamens alternate with them ; tho ovary inferior or 3-celled, many-seeded, with the dissepi ments alternate with tho wings of the perianth ; the style single; the stigma 3-lobed, petaloid ; the capsules covered by the withered perianth, or 3-celled, bursting irregularly; the seeds being numerous, minute, striated with an aril, fleshy albumen, and minute embryo.
The genus Burmannia, on which this order has been founded, is variously assigned by different botanists. Jussieu placed it in Brome litmus, Brown in Juncacees, Von Martins in Hydrocharacar, Blume places it between Junco-seer and Iridacees, Lindley between Apostasiacces and Orchidaccer, and there can be little doubt of the propriety of con stituting it a distinct order. The species are natives of Asia, Africa, and America. The genera referred to this order are Burmannia, Gonyanthes, Gymnosiphon, Apteria, Dietyostega, Cymbocarpa, and Stenoptera. There are about 30 species'. They have not very conspi cuous properties ; the Apteria sctacea is said by Nuttall to possess tonic and astringent properties. Burmannia carulea is also said to have a flavour very similar to that of green tea.
(Lindley, Nat urcd System ; Burnett, Outlines of Botany.)