College, Dublin, in the middle of January this present 
year. 
Descr. Bulb globose, half an inch in diameter; outer 
tunics fibrous, the fibres strong and anastomosing irregu- 
larly. Leaves wrapped round at the base by a sheath two 
or three inches long, which reaches to the surface of the 
ground ; produced leaves four to six, narrow linear, gla- 
brous, rounded and faintly keeled on the back, deeply 
channelled down the face with a distinct white central 
band hke a Crocus, pale green, not glaucous, very short at 
the flowering time, but growing much longer as the spring 
advances. Scape very short, hypogeous, one-flowered. 
Spathe cylindrical, pale green, about two inches long, two- 
valved. Ovary cylindrical, pedicellate inside the spathe. 
Perianth about four inches, the tube and the limb of equal 
length, the former cylindrical, pale lilac, protruded con- 
siderably above the top of the spathe; outer segments with 
a long erect claw and a spreading oblong-lanceolate acute 
blade, which is deep violet-purple, with a beardless bright 
yellow keel; inner segments just the same length as the 
outer, oblanceolate-unguiculate, erect, pale lilac, concolo- 
rous. Styles the same colour as the inner segments, and 
faling but little short of them; crests lanceolate, a third 
of aninch long. Anthers cream-white, under half an inch 
long ; filaments free, as long as the anthers.—J. G. Baker. 
Fig. 1, a bulb, natural size ; 
: 2, section of a leaf; 3, an inner segment of the 
perianth ; 4, style and anther :— 
he two latter about natural size. 
