Tas. 6545. 
CRINUM ForBESIANUM. 
Native of Delagoa Bay. 
Nat. Ord. AMARYLLIDACEA.—Sub-order AMARYLLIDER. 
Genus Crinum, Linn. ; (Kunth Enum. vol. v. p. 547.) 
Crinum Forbesianum; bulbo maximo brevicollo tunicis membranaceis brunneis, 
foliis post scapum productis lorato-lanceolatis tripedalibus glaucis humifasis 
distincte ciliatis, scapo erassissimo ancipiti brevi, umbellis 30-40-floris, spatha 
valvis magnis lanceolato-deltoideis rubellis, pedicellis brevibus erectis, floribus 
cernuis 7-8-uncialibus suaveolentibus, tubo cylindrico, limbi segmentis ob- 
lanceolato-oblongis acutis tubo Jongioribus dorso rubro suffusis dimidio inferiori 
conniventibus, Jimidio superiori flore expanso reflexis, genitalibus declinatis 
perianthio equilongis. 
C. Forbesianum, Herbert Amaryllid. p. 267; Kunth Enum, vol. v. p. 577. 
C. Forbesii, Schultes fil. Syst. Veg. vol. vii. p. 864. 
Amaryllis Forbesii, Lindl. in Trans. Hort. Soc. vol. vi. p. 87. 
This is a most curious and interesting species of Crinum, 
remarkable for its very large bulbs, short stout scapes, and 
very large decumbent leaves, not developed fully till after 
the flowers have faded. The individual flowers are not 
very unlike those of the well-known Crinum ornatum, and 
have the same tint of bright red down the outside of the 
perianth-segments. Its nearest ally is the plant we figured 
lately from Zanzibar, Crinum Kirkii, Tab. 6512. The 
present species was originally sent to England about the 
year 1824 by Mr. John Forbes, and was briefly described 
at the time by Dr. Lindley, from the Chiswick Garden, in 
the Journal of the Horticultural Society. It appears to 
have soon been quite lost out of cultivation, and as no 
figure nor specimen was preserved, it passed into the rank 
of doubtful species, till it was sent to Kew in 1877 by the 
late Mr. J. J. Monteiro, one of the last of many valuable 
contributions to the garden, museum, and herbarium, which 
we received from him. Mr. Monteiro’s bulbs were procured 
MARCH Ist, 1881. 
