Tab. 7580. 

 DASYSTACHYS Drimiopsis. 



Native of South-east Tropical Africa. 



Nat. Ord. Liliace^. — Tribe Asphodei/E;E. 

 Genus Dasystachys, Baker; {Benih. & Boole, f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 789.) 



Dasystachys Drimiopsis; fibris radicalibus cylindricis, foliis rudimentariis 

 dorso rubro-brunneo maculatis, foliis basalibua 5-6 linearibus viridibus 

 recurvatis, pedunculo elongato simplici foliis floribus reductis prcedito, 

 racemo denso subspicato oblongo, pedicellis brevissimis, bracteis brutineis 

 e basi lata linearibus, perianthio eampanulato albo segmentis ovatis 

 supra basin patulis, staminibus exsertis, stylo elongato, fructu acute 

 angulato profunde trilobato. 



D. Dri miopsis, Baker, ex Benth. & Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 789. 



Anthericum Drimiopsis, BaJcer in Journ. Linn. Soc- vol. xv. p. 301. 



This genus is very different in habit from Chlorophytum, 

 with which Eng]er has united it. All the species have 

 small flowers arranged in dense subspicate racemes. 

 Fifteen species are now known, all of which are confined 

 to the mountainous regions of Tropical Africa. This is 

 the first of them which has been introduced into cultiva- 

 tion. The living plant was brought to Kew in 1892, 

 along with many others, by the late Mr. John Buchanan, 

 O.M.G., who did so much to increase our knowledge of 

 the botany of British Central Africa. It flowered at Kew 

 for the first time in October, 1896, having been cultivated 

 in a warm greenhouse. It was first collected in 1859 by 

 Sir John Kirk, in the Zambesi valley, between Shupanga 

 and Tette. 



Descr. — Root-fibres many, cylindrical. Sheath-leaves 

 spotted on the back with claret-brown. Produced leaves 

 about six in a dense basal rosette, linear, bright green, 

 moderately firm in texture, the longest above a foot lono\ 

 Peduncle terete, erect, two or three feet long, bearing 

 several reduced leaves. Raceme very dense, subspicate, 

 oblong, three or four inches long ; pedicels very short, not 

 articulated; bracts reddish-brown, linear from a dilated 



Pbbb.ua.ky 1st, 1898. 



