the Russian (transcaucasian) province of Eriwan, wliich 

 borders Persia on the north, and the Caspian Sea on the 

 east. Boissier adds the province of Asterabad (Buhse), 

 ■which is in Persia, on the opposite, south-eastern shores 

 of the Caspian. 



The specimen figured flowered in the open air, in a 

 south border, in the Royal Gardens, Kew, May, 1898. 

 The species is one of the most handsome in the genus. 



Descr. — Bulb ovoid. Leaves two to four, twelve to 

 eighteen inches long, by one to one and a quarter inches 

 broad, loriform, sub-acute, thickly coriaceous, concave, 

 dorsally rounded, nerveless, bases sheathing the base of 

 the scape, mnrgins minutely erose. Scape stout, much 

 shorter than the leaves. Raceme oblong, dense-flowered ; 

 bracts deltoid. Pedicels about as long as the flowers, 

 decurved. Peria?ith about one-third of an inch long, very 

 dark violet-blue, oblong-campanulate ; lobes about one- 

 third the length of the tube, orbicular, dorsally thickened, 

 margins .green, at length spreading. Stamens inserted 

 above the middle of the tube, included ; filaments very 

 short ; anther-cells oblong, blue-black. Ovary broadly 

 ovoid, suddenly contracted into a short style. Capsule 

 trigonously globose, lobes dorsally rounded. — J. D. II. 



Fip. 1, flower; 2, segmfnt of corolla with stamen ; 3, stamens; 4, ovarv ; 

 5, portion of rachis of raceme with capsnles ; 6, seed; all but 5, enlarged; 

 7, reduced views of two plants. 



