= 
r^ 
35 
63. HYMENOCALLIS Harrisiana; (Herbert in litt.) “ scapo dodrantali 
subglauco rotundaté compresso, spathá marcescente bracteata, germine 
brevi sessili, loculis dispermis ovulis magnis oblongis, tubo quinqueun- 
ciali viridi superne albo, laciniis angustis 3} uncialibus albis, coronà 
semunciali alba dentibus parvis interstamineis, genitalibus superne leet? 
viridibus, filamentis stylo $ limbo unciam brevioribus, polline saturaté 
aureo, foliis tribus synanthiis unciam vel ultra latis utrinque attenuatis 
subpetiolatis obtusé apiculatis lateribus canaliculato-inflexis scapo flo- 
rendi tempore brevioribus, bulbo tunica brunneá rotundaté ovato diamet. 
sesquiunciali Primo vere florida, vix odorata. Ex ditione Mexicana.” 
« This species, very unlike any yet known, was imported 
from Mexico by T. Harris, Esq. of the Grove, Kingsbury ; 
and three bulbs of it, sent through his liberality to Spofforth, 
flowered there with their first shoot in the stove at the be- 
ginning of April. The seeds of this genus are apt to burst 
the capsule, and become fully exposed to view in their pro- 
gress to maturity; but in this species the singular pheno- 
menon has appeared of one of the ovules, which are erect and 
fill the cell of the germen, splitting it and forcing itself out, 
twelve hours after the impregnation of the stigma, while the 
flower was still fresh."—W. H. 
64. RIGIDELLÁ fammea. See plate 16 of this volume. 
“Since the article above referred to was written, 1 have 
had an opportunity of again examining with care the structure 
of this most curious flower, it having blossomed abundantly 
in the garden of the Horticultural Society; an advantage 
which I did not before possess, in consequence of my unwil- 
lingness to pull in pieces even a single flower of so great a 
rarity. This enables me to make an important addition to 
its definition, which however is correct as far as 1t goes. 
I now find that at the very bottom of the cup formed b 
the convolution of the three scarlet leaves of the periant 
there is a copious secretion of honey, and that immersed in 
this substance are three small rudimentary petals, resembling 
anthers at first sight. Each of these parts is four lines long, 
yellowish orange, ovate, unguiculate, and erect, with the 
sides rolled inwards, and on the upper and inner surface 
bears a prodigious multitude of very small round semitrans- 
parent bodies, closely packed together, and when viewed with 
a magnifying power of 80 linear resembling a bed of the most 
beautiful pearls. Upon applying @ magnifying power of 500 
linear, and examining these bodies in water as transparent 
objects, they are found to be simple stalked vesicles, contains 
