hardly to be recognisable. It was introduced into England 
before the days of Gerard (1597), but is still scarce, being 
often killed by frost. The plants here figured flowered at Kew 
in May of last year, from bulbs sent by D. Hanbury, Esq., 
F.R.S., from Calabria. The bulbs are said (Bot. Mag. 1. c.) 
to be eaten in Spain and Portugal, whence Gerard and 
Parkinson called them Spanish nuts; but I cannot confirm 
this statement. 
Descr. Bulb the size of a large hazel-nut, globose, clothed 
with matted fibres. Stem six to twelve inches high, stout or 
flexuous, 2—6-flowered. eaves dark green, usually twin, 
distichous, spreading or recurved, elongate-subulate very 
concave, rounded at the backs, about as long as the stem. 
Spathes ventricose, membranous acuminate. Flowers one and a 
half inches in diameter, blue-purple, with a yellow oblong spot 
on the disk of the outer perianth segments. Ovary slender, 
about one inch long. Perianth-tube as long and more slender ; 
outer segments of limb reflexed, oblong-spathulate, obtuse ; 
inner narrow-lanceolate, erect, much paler. Stigmas erect, as 
long as the inner segments, bifid to the middle, segments 
subulate, parallel, erect.—/. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Apex of stigma :—magnified. 
