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WITSENTA maura. 



Downy-flowered Jflfsenia 



TRIAND R I A MONO O } XLi 



JUTSEyTA. Cal. o. Cor. eiccta, rcgularis, mlmquulis, persi*- 



tens; tubulosa, 6-fida limbo explanato v. connivente: rarius bexapetalodt- 

 partita. St am. inclusa, erecta : affixa basi lachuantm exteriorum. Germ. 



mferam v. subsemisuperum, pofyspermum. Stylus fiJifonnis, exsertu* 



Stig. obsolete trina. Caps, lignosa, trigono-ovata : 3-loc, 3-valv., val- 

 vis medio septigeris. Sem. biseriata, angulosa. 



Arbusculas sempervirentes. Caudez palmoideo-lignescens, erectus, an- 

 ceps, simplex v. divisus: foliis vaginatus en satis, numerosis, collaterals 



distichis, equitantibus, flabellatim divergent ibus, striatis, glaucis} ter- 

 rnina/ibits confer tissi mis. Flores spathacei : spathae 2-valves, unifora, 

 clausa; seon)m bracteatre out geminatim per squamas communes imbri- 

 cat as, in caide and pit i a/ most vel spicatc elevate; rarius in caadice 



sesuli-terminales : valva inter, mtmbranacea delitescent* 



_ _ _ 



\> . maura, spathis geminatis : limbo connivente; laciniis 9 extimis dorso 

 hirsutis. 



W itsenia maura. Thunb. diss. nov. gen. 34. c. ic. Ejusd. prodr. 7. 



Murr. in syst. veg. ed. 14. 83. IVilld. sp. pi. 1. 247. Lamarck, ill. 



1. 108. t.' 30. Vahl. enum, 2. 47. Kedoutt liliac. 215; (tab. e 



sicco desumpta.) Hort. Kezc. ed. 2. 2. 109. 

 Ixia distich a. Lamarck, eft eye. 3. 333. 

 Antholyza maura. Lin. ma tit. 175. Si/st. veg. cd. IS. 78. 



Bi-quinque pedalis, divisa, nccne. Spathac sesquiunciales, incrquivalves % 

 bijidce, per paria in peduncuJo communi dlsticho-spicatce, v. sessiles in fine 

 caudicis : paria singula a squamis cowmunibuBjbliaceis distichis sitnul imbri- 

 cata. Cor. 2-unciaUs, clavato-cylindrica : tubus viridescens, dnriusculus, 

 ampliatns in nigrum collum at parum, limbo c/auso 4-plb longior: laciniae 

 ovato-attenuatce • exter. discolores, tomento brevi extus Jia-cicantes, intus 

 glabrato-inrentes ; inter, penicillo Jlavo in apicibus, caUrnm niuhe aq vi rides* 

 Stam. striata, viridia : HI. semitcreti-subidala : anth. vix breviores, ii basi 

 biloba cucullate pertusa stabilius infix ce : pollen far dm. Germ. bi/ineare 9 

 obloHgum, teres, apice depression, subsemisuperum ; pro unci ltd parte intra 

 corollam liberum, ubi lucido-virens ac leviter 3-sulcum. Flos totus nitet pa- 

 pulis atomoideis densissimis, omnvib ac FjEBRARLS. 



This very singular plant, dried flowers of which have been 

 long and very generally admired in the Herbarium, first ap- 

 peared in this country in 1790; having been sent by Mr. 



jVfasson from its native country, the Cape of (rood Hope, to 

 the Kew Gardens. It has however never been known to 

 flower with us till last December, when several fine speci- 

 mens showed their bloom together at Hammersmith, in the 



vol. l c 



