

4 



69 



through the whole substance of the petal, and not collected 

 into kernels placed below openings in the cuticle. The office 

 of this kind of tissue is apparently to secrete the honey that 

 abounds in the flowers of this plant ; in which respect it also 

 corresponds with the probable functions of the brown glan- 

 dular kernels of Nepenthes, by which it is suggested, in the 

 work above quoted, that the water contained in the pitchers 

 of the Pitcher Plant is secreted. 



Hydrotaenia differs from Sisyrinchium in having the an- 

 thers opposite the primary lobes of the style; from Ti"-ridia 



and all its allied genera, in having a campanulate flower 

 equal sepals and petals, and a secreting zone upon the latter 

 near their base. The following is a technical description of 

 the genus. 



r 



M 

 1 



Hydrot^nia (Iridacece). Perigonium campanulatum, subisomerum ; petalis 

 unguiculatis supra unguem zona triangulari mclliflua fasciatis. Stamina 3, 

 monadelpha, sepalis opposita ; antherae gessiles, basi-fixae, loculis connccti- 

 vum marginantibus. Ovarium inferum, apice liberum conicum ; ovula 



{►lurima angulo centrali loculorum inserta ; stylus filiformis apice trifidus : 

 aciniis 3-partitis linearibus convolutis: intermed 

 lateralibus geminatim inter antberas projiclentibus. 



Sp. 1. Hydrotcenia Meleagris Mexico ; In pascuis alpinis propc aurofodinas 



Regiomontanas. 



Caulis sesquipedalis, monopbyllus. Folium ensiforaie, plicatum, unclam latum, 

 spatbei paulo brevius. Spatha cucullata, foliacea, 4-5-flora, Flores fuga- 

 cissimi, a pedunculo gracillimo penduli. Perigonium campanulatum, 1^ 

 poUicem altum, extils fusco purpureum, intfls pallidum ; fasciis quibusdam 

 interruptis sanguineis in petalis. Sepala cuneata, mucronc debili aristata. 



antberis 



concolora. 



guiculata, cordata. 



supra unguem lutea meuifera triangulari, cui tela cellulosa grumosa, compacta 

 ct glandulosa est. Stamina in tubum longnm connata ; antherae sessiles, pa 

 tentes, sepalis oppositae ; connectivo carnoso loculis pollinifcris circumdato. 

 Stylus filiformis, 3-fidus ; bracbiis antberis oppositis, linearibus, convolutis 

 3-partitis: lacinia intermedia nana, lateralibus margine interiore unidcntatis 

 inter apices papillosis. Ovarium 3-loculare, apice liberum, conicum ; ovulis 

 plurimis, asecndentibas. 



V w 



129. MORRENIA odorata. 



This plant has been raised in the garden of the Horticul- 

 tural Society, from seeds obtained from Buenos Ayres by the 

 Hon. W. F. Strangways, and flowers in August and Septem- 

 ber in the greenhouse. In habit it is similar to Oxypetalum 

 Banksiiy and like that species twines round sticks or trellis 



