Tab. 5690. 

 HYPOXIS ELATA. 



Tall Ilypoxis. 



Nat. Ord. Hypoxide.e. — Hexandria Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Perianthii tubus cum ovario connatus, limbi G-partiti lobis 

 paten tibus coloratis planis persistentibus. Stamina 6, disco epigyno in- 

 serts, periantbii foliolia opposita ; anthers lineares v. oblongas, iutus debis- 

 centes. Ovarium 3-loculare ; stylus liber, brevis v. elongatus, stigmatibus 3 

 in columnam conicam connatis, ramis liberis ; ovula numerosa, 2-aeriata, 

 ampbitropa. Caps/da 3-loeularis, evalvis, polysperma. — Herbse perennes, 

 scepissime villosa, acaules v. caudice crasso vaginis foliorum vetustorum ob- 

 tecto. Folia tristicha, linearia v. lanceolata, basi vatjinantia. Flores in 

 spicas cymas v. paniculas pauci-multifloras dispositi,flavi. 



Hrpoxis elata; elata, robusta, sericeo-villoaa, foliia perplurimis revolutia 

 2-pedalibua lanceolato-enaifonnibua costatis aubtua dense lanuginoaia, 

 Bcapo foliis breviore nutante multifloro, floribua »mplis raceraoeis, 

 bracteia filiformibns, perianthii t'oliolis auieis dorso medio griaeia et 

 lanuginosis, antheria oblbngo-aagittatia, tilamentis brevibua aubulatis, 

 stylo brevi, stigmatibus connatis. 



This is the handsomest of all the hitherto figured species 

 of the genus, introduced by Mr. Wilson Saunders, F.R.S., 

 from Natal, through his active collector, Mr. Cooper. It 

 flowered in the Royal Gardens, Kew, first in 1863, from 

 bulbs given by Mr. Saunders, but the drawing here given is 

 of a much larger specimen, that flowered at Reigate in June, 

 1862. As a species it closely resembles the II. Soopen, 

 Moore, but is a much larger plant, with the inflorescence race- 

 mose, not disposed in open, opposite-branched, trichotomous 

 cymes ; the peduncles are large and more slender, and the 

 bracts are not short, persistent, and subulate; the flowers arc 

 twice as large, and the perianth segments are not green at 

 the back, but yellow, with a dorsal green stripe. 



The genus Hypoxia is a very large one in South Africa. 

 whence many species remain to be introduced ; as yet they 

 have found little favour with horticulturists, mosl of those 



PEBBTTAKT IsT, L868 



