Tas. 5881. 
HAMANTHUS renvirrorvs, VAR. COCCINEUS. 
A Native of Abyssinia. 
Nat. Ord. AMARYLLIDEA.— Tribe AMARYLLEM. 
Genus Hamantaus, Linn. ; (Endl. Gen. Pl., vol. i. p. 177). 
Hamantnus tenuiflorus ; bulbo ovoideo, foliis serotinis cylindraceo- 
vaginantibis ellipticis in petiolam vix angustatis, vagina exteriore basi 
purpureo-maculatis, inflorescentia precoci, scapo stricto viridi com- 
presso, bracteis lineari-oblongis inequalibus patentibus pallidis, floribus 
numerosissimis, pedicellis pollicaribus, corolle tubo} poll. longo, laciniis 
anguste-linearibus 3 poll. longis erecto-patentibus filamentisque cocci- 
neis, antheris aureis. 
Hezmantuvs tenuiflorus; Herbert, in Bot..Mag. t. 3870. Kunth, Enum. vol. v. 
p- 587. 
Var. coccineus ; floribus coccineis. 
a 
A native of Abyssinia, where it was collected by the 
Honble. R. Leslie Melville, who accompanied the Abyssinian 
Expedition, in 1868, and who presented the plant to the 
Royal Gardens. It appears to be specifically identical with 
the H. tenuiflorus of Herbert, of which a pale-flowered variety 
(var. Mozambicensis) is figured in the 67th volume of this 
work, from a specimen flowered by Mr. Herbert himself, at 
Spofforth. Coming as it does from Abyssinia, I was at first 
disposed to refer it to the unknown JZ. abyssynicus, Herb. 
(Amaryll. p. 232), but that species is described as having 
many purple reflexed spathes, and very small flowers. In his 
_Temarkable work on the Amaryllidacee (which abounds in 
curious and very often highly philosophical discussions), Mr. 
Herbert states in his remarks at the end of Hemanthus 
(p. 239), that the species of his first section “flower with the 
leaves in vigour, instead of before their appearance,” and he 
includes in this section his H. delagoensis (Amaryll. p. 233), 
4 species which he subsequently (Tab. Nost. 38 70), refers to 
JANUARY Ist, 1871. 
; 
ae 
