Part 71

CLASS III. ORDER I.

TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Spathæ bivalves.

COROLLA hexapetala, patens; petala tria interiora patentia, angustiora.

STAMINA. Filamenta tria, brevia. Antheræ oblongæ.

PISTILLUM. Germen inferum, oblongum. Stylus simplex, brevissimus. Stigmata tria, bifida.

PERICARPIUM. Capsula trigona, trisulcata, trilocularis.

SEMINA plurima, rotunda.

EMPALEMENT. Sheaths of two valves.

BLOSSOM six petals, spreading; the three innermost petals are more spread out and narrower.

CHIVES. Three short threads. Tips oblong.

POINTAL. Seed-bud beneath and oblong. Shaft simple, and very short. Summits three, two-cleft.

SEED-VESSEL. Capsule three sided, three-furrowed, three cells.

SEEDS many, and round.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Moræa scapo teriti; foliis radicalibus, lanceolatis, canaliculatis, scapo longiores; floribus terminalibus, tricoloratis.

Moræa with a round flower-stem; the leaves grow from the root, are lance-shaped, channelled, and longer than the flower stem; the flowers are terminal, and three-coloured.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. An outer Petal of the Blossom. 2. An inner Petal of the same. 3. The Chives and Pointal; the petals being cut off, to expose the situation of the Chives hid under the summits.

To G. Hibbert, Esq. of Clapham Common, we owe the introduction of this beautiful little Moræa, he having received it from his collector at the Cape, in the spring of 1799. It is certainly a perfectly new species here, and we believe has not been seen to flower in Europe before, as it is not in the extensive Collections, of the Emperor of Germany; at least it is not to be found amongst the many figured by Professor Jacquin. The very short duration of the blossoms, at first, had determined us to name it specifically, fugax; but finding we were anticipated in that name, by Jacquin, in his Hortus. III. tab. 26, we have adopted that of tricolor. The drawing was made at Clapham this year, in October; although we conceive the regular season for its blowing would be, June, or July, if planted like other Cape bulbs in autumn. The only means of seeing this plant in perfection, is, by keeping it entirely from the air when near flowering, as it is too delicate to bear the least exposure; it begins to expand about twelve o’clock, and is quite decayed by three. From every appearance, without a supply from the Cape, this delicate little bulb will, (as many others have) be soon lost to this country.

PLATE LXXXIV.

BUCHNERA PEDUNCULATA.

Solitary-flowered Buchnera.

CLASS XIV. ORDER II.

DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. Two Chives longer. Seeds covered.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX quinque-dentatus. Corollæ limbus quinquefidus, æqualis; lobis cordatis. Capsula bilocularis.