Tab. 6397. 

 ISMENE TENUTFOLJA. 



Native of Ecuador. 



Nat. Ord. Amaryllidace^e. — Tribe Pancraties:. 

 Genus Ismene, Sallsb, ; (Kuntli, Enum. vol. v. p. 081). 



Ismene tenuifolia ; bulbo globoso tunicis brunneis membranaceis, foliis circiter 6 

 synanthiis linearibus acutis patulis pedalibus, scapo semipedali unifloro, 

 bracteis 2 subulatis caducis, ovario sessili oblongo-trigono, periantbii albi 

 erecti 7-8-poUicaris tubo viridulo, segmentis linearibus flore expanso falcatis 

 tubo ajquilongis, coronee infundibularis tubo fundo luteo striis (i viridibus 

 percurso, margine inter filamentos producto patulo emarginato extus argute 

 dentato, filaiuentorum parte libera inflexa semipollicari, antberis parvis line- 

 aribus luteis, stylo prater coronam exserto sursum leviter declinato. 



This is one of the finest additions that have been made for 

 a long time to our stock of cultivated Amaryllidaceee. The 

 plant has been known for nearly a century, for there is a speci- 

 men from Pa von at the British Museum, and it is very singular 

 that so striking a species should never have been named or 

 described. We have fine specimens in the Kew herbarium, 

 gathered by Jamieson and Spruce, in both eases in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Guyaquil. It grows at a low level, and is only 

 adapted for stove cultivation. In its native country the time 

 of flowering seems to extend from December to March. It 

 has been imported by Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, and 

 the drawing was made from a specimen that flowered with 

 them last June. 



Descr. Bulb globose, one and a half or two inches in 

 diameter, with brown membranous tunics. Leaves about 

 half-a-dozen to a bulb, cotemporary with the flowers, spread- 

 ing, linear, bright green, about a foot long. Scape six or 

 eight inches long, one-flowered, ancipitous. Bracts ^ two, 

 subulate, membranous, deciduous. Ovary sessile, oblong- 

 trigonous, green, half an inch long. Perianth white, erect, 



DECEMBER 1ST, 1878. 



