Tas. 4999. 
TYDASA AMABILIS. 
Handsome Tydea. 
Nat. Ord. GesNERIACE#.—DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 
Gen. Char. Calycistubus ovario adnato, laciniis 3 parum ineequalibus. Corolla 
in calyce obliqua, fauce leviter inflata curvula, limbi obliqui laciniis patentibus. 
Ovarium apice libero attenuatum. Glandule 5, distincte v. plus minus in an- 
nulum confluentes. Stigma bifidum.—Herbe bulbillis squamosis subterraneis, 
more Achimenum, perennantes ; caulibus erectis, ramosis, herbaceis ; foliis oppositis, 
haud disparibus, petiolatis, dentatis ; floribus azillaribus vel in thyrsum ¢erminalem 
basi foliosum digestis, speciosis. Decaisne. : 
Typ amabilis ; tota pilis mollibus longiuscule hirsuta, foliis ovatis acuminatis 
acutis crenato-serratis supra viridibus secus nervo fusco-viridi variegatis 
subtus vinosis, pedicellis axillaribus multifloris folio longioribus, laciniis 
calycinis ovatis tubo subsequalibus, corolle amcene purpureo-roseze limbo 
maculis punctiformibus lineiformibusque purpureis picto. Planch. 
Typ amabilis. Pl. e¢ Lind. in Lind. Cat. Hortic. ann. 1835. Van Houtte, 
in Fl. des Serres, 1855, ¢. 1070. 
. 
The type of the genus 7ydea is the well-known Achimenes 
picta of our gardens, and has been separated from the other spe- 
cies of Achimenes by Professor Decaisne. Our plant now figured 
has so many points in common with that species, that one would 
almost take it for a hybrid variety, were it not that Mr. Linden, 
by whom it was originally imported, assures us it is a native 
of Popayan, in New Granada, where it was discovered by M. 
Triana, in 1855, in the cold regions of the Cordillera, at altitudes 
of from eight thousand to nine thousand feet above the level of 
the sea. Linden therefore considers it a greenhouse plant. It 
is very handsome, a ready flowerer, and easily increased by its 
scaly, subterraneous bulbils. With us, it blossoms in the spring 
months. Save in the colour of the flower—throughout a deep 
tose—it is difficult to detect a character by which this may with 
certainty be distinguished from Zydea picta. 
Dzscr. Stem one to two and more feet high, erect, terete, 
herbaceous, greenish-purple, clothed with soft, spreading hairs. 
AUGUST IsT, 1857. 
a ye ge RE ae cee EM tr OR ae hear PO ag eR te tie yee wim 
