158 
ORNITHOGALUM prasinum. 
Pea-green flowered Cape Star-of- Bethlehem. ` 
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA, 
Nat. ord. Aspnovert. Jussieu gên. 53. 
Div. IV. Flores spicati. Radix bulbosa, Corolla sexpartita, bast 
'staminifera. 
ORNITHOGALUM. — Infor. racemosa, bracteatìm distincta, 
Cal. 0. Cor. infera, regularis, subzqualis, patentissima, emarcido- 
persistens; raró comuivens; nunquam cerulea aut rubra. Fi. erecto- 
patentia, subulata, basi sapé dilatata, alterné latiora. Stylus erectus 
subnullus v. brevis v. setaceo-elongatus. Stigma obtusum v. capitato- 
trilobum. Caps. membranacea, oblonga v. ovata, trilobo-trigona, rariìts 
hexagona, lobis modo compressis, 3-loc., 3-valv. valvis medio septiferis, 
Sem. numerosa in angulo interno loculamenti singuli biseriata, globosa 
sæpiùs angulosé pressa, raris compresso-paleacea ; testa nigricans. 
Bulpus tunicatus. Folia 1-plurima, carnosula, ambientia, ra- 
dicalia. Scapus simpler.  Racemus spicatim productus, vel corymbosus. 
Bractez solitarie. SciLÀ dignoscendum tantummodo ob flores nun- 
quam carulescentes neque rubentes. Differt D&iMiÂ ob corollam 
non inferuê conniventem in tubum, et bulbum compactiôs tunicatum. 
O. prasinum, foliis glauciusculis, suprà tortis; racemo divaricato, longà 
peduneulato ; filamentis basi ovatis: stylo longiore germine. . 
Bulbus ovatus, integumentis subfuscis. Folia plurima (4-9) erecto-patentia, 
subpedalia, lorato-attenuata, involuto-concava, cuspidata. Scapus glaucius- 
culus, excedens folia, teres. Racemus oblongus, lazus, tentissimus; pe- 
dunculis strictis, 2-3-plo longioribus corolla: bracteis mbranosis, lanceolatis. 
Cor. horizontem respiciens, stellato-patens, unciam pen? transversa, glauco- 
virens, inodora : lac. subeguales, oblonga, obtuse, mix 2 lineas late, exte- 
riores sublatiores depressiores concaviusculg apice inflezee, interiores planiores 
apice glanduloso-albicantes, versús basin utrinque deflezee, Fil. y parte breviora 
laciniis, alba, ovato-subulata, plana, alterna basi ventricosiora ; anth. breves, 
lutec, incumbentes. Germ. virens, ellipticum, 3-lobum, siriá per dorsum 
cujusque lobi ductá, et nervo. prominulo in sulco singulo lobos intercipiente : 
stylus tristriato-setaceus, longior germine, albus, apiculo stigmatoso de 
exstperante stamina. 
The boundary which separates ORNITHOGALUM from 
SciLLA, as these genera have been handed down to us, de- 
pends upon a feature usually considered the least charac- 
teristic of any among vegetables, viz. the colour of the 
flower. There seems to be an understanding among bota- 
nists that no blue or red flower can belong to ORNITHOGA- 
LUM, which genus has become the receptacle of the plants 
with any other coloured flower, that would else fall as con- 
