Tas. 6666. 
NEMASTYLIS ACUTA, 
Native of the South-Western United States. 
Nat. Ord. In1pEa.—Tribe SISYRINCHIER. 
Genus Nemastyuis, Wuttall; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Pl. vol. iii. p. 696, ined.) 
Nemastyuis acuta; bulbo ovoideo tunicis pluribus membranaceis brunneis, foliis 
basalibus 2-3 elongatis linearibus Plicatis glabris, caule gracili furcato, ramis 
2~4 apice floriferis basi folio reducto bracteatis, spathez biflore valvis 2 lanceo- 
latis r'gidulis striatis apice membranaceis, pedicellis spatha zequilongis, ovario 
turbinato, limbi segmentis oblongis ceruleis patulis, staminum filamentis 
brevissimis, antheris erectis linearibus luteis post anthesin revolutis, styli ramis 
subulato-cylindricis inter antheras patulis apice stigmatosis. 
N. acuta, Herbert in Bot. Mag. sub t. 3779; Engelm. et A. Gray Pl. Lindheim. 
parti. p.27; Baker in Journ. Linn. Soe. vol. xvi. p.103; Van Houtte Flore 
des Serres, t. 2171. 
N. geminiflora, Nuttall in Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. vol. v. p. 157. 
Ixta acuta, Barton Fl. North. Amer. vol. i. p. 76. 
Of this curious and little-known genus of bulbous 
Tridacess there are three closely-allied species in the 
Southern United States. It is remarkable for having its 
Style divided down to the base into six branches, which 
spread two together between each of the three anthers at a 
right angle from their base, and are stigmatose only on the 
slender tip. The flowers are a bright azure-blue, and are 
very fugitive. In the present species they are, so far as I 
have seen, always two in a cluster, one appearing after the 
other has faded ; but in its close ally, NV. celestina, they are 
usually solitary. It has been introduced several times into 
European gardens of late years. We had it from Mr. 
Chas. Green in 1874, from Mr. Wm. Bull in 1875, and it 
was figured in the “Flore des Serres” in 1875, from speci- 
mens sent by Max Leichtlin of Baden Baden. Our drawing 
was made from plants that flowered at Kew in the summer 
JANUARY Ist, 1883. 
