Tab. 7004. 

 ASPHODELUS acaulis. 



Native of Algeria. 



Nat. Ord. Liliace^:. — Tribe Asphodele^e. 

 Genus Asphodeliis, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. PL vol. iii. p. 782.) 



Asphodelixs acaulis ; perennis, fibris radicalibus cylindricis, foli is omnibus radi- 

 calibus dense rosulatis linearibus acuminatis dorso convexis margine minute 

 serrulatis, floribus 6-20 in corymbuin laxum pedunculo subnullo dispositis, 

 bracteis magnis lanceolatis hjalinis viridi carinatis, pedicellis apice articulatis, 

 exterioribus elongatis, perianthio infundibulari pallide rubello, segmentis 

 oblongo-lanceolatis distincte viridi carinatis, staminibus perianthio duplo 

 brevioribus antheris parvis, stylo elongato erecto apice stigmatoso tricuspidato, 

 fructu parvo globoso-trigono, seminibus multis triquetris. 



A. acaulis, Desf. Fl Atlant. vol. i. p. 302, t. 89 ; Schult. f. Syst. Fee/, vol. vii. 

 p. 49; Kunth Enum. vol. iv. p. 560 ; Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. xv. 

 p. 271. 



Grethosyne acaulis, Salish. Gen. p. 72. 



Clausonia acaulis, Pomel in Bull. Bot. Soc. France, vol. ix. p. 673. 



This is an extremely distinct species of Asphodel which is 

 found wild only in the provinces of Oran and Algiers. The 

 individual flowers are rather like those of the well-known 

 Asphodelus albas and its numerous varieties, but the 

 general habit of the plant resembles that of Ornithogalum 

 umbellatum, the flowers being arranged in a lax corymb, of 

 which the peduncle is nearly obsolete. As it grows only 

 in the lower part of Algeria, it does not get heat enough 

 to flourish freely in England. Our drawing was made 

 from a plant that flowered last May, in the herbaceous 

 ground at Kew, which was collected by Mrs. Thiselton 



Dyer. 



Desce. Boot-fibres fleshy, cylindrical, two or three inches 

 long. Leaves ten or twenty, forming a dense radical 

 rosette, linear, tapering gradually to the point, half a foot 

 or finally a foot long, firm in texture, persistent, dull 

 green, minutely pubescent, very convex on the back, 

 minutely serrulate on the narrowly cartilaginous margin. 

 Flowers six to twenty, forming a lax corymb, with a very 

 short or abortive peduncle ; bracts large, lanceolate, hya- 

 line, with a distinct herbaceous keel ; pedicels articulated 



jult 1st, 1888. 



