Desc. Rooty a tunicated bulb, producing from one to four 

 Items about a foot and half high, fomewhat flexuofe, round, 

 jointed, fmooth, bearing at each joint a plicated oblong-lanceo- 

 late leaf from a fheathing petiole the length of the internode, 

 and at the futnmit an involucrum, apparently confiding of two 

 lanceolate, ancipital, conduplicate, nearly equal valves, of 

 which the exterior is in fa£i the common Ipathe or involucre, 

 and embraces the interior with its contents ; the interior valve, 

 which is exactly oppofed to the outer one, is the proper fpathe 

 of the firft flower and embraces it, together with the fpathes and 

 flowers that are to come in fucceffion ; the fpathe of the fecond 

 flower is oppofed to that of the firft, and placed between it and 

 the pedicel of the firft flower; and fo of the reft, every fpathe 

 being oppofed to the one of the preceding flower and embraced 

 by it. Thefe fpathes are fimilar in fhape, but diminifh 

 progreffively and become more membranaceous. Corolla, 

 broad-urceolate (but this could not be expreffed by the drawing 

 in a front-view of the flower) divided into fix fegments, of which 

 the three outer are urceolate at the bafe, expanded above, and 

 reflected at the point ; the three inner ones fmaller by half, 

 biformed, Angularly divided into a lower haftate and an upper 

 ovate divifion by a deprefled interferon ; the upper divifion 

 is of the richeft fcarlet imaginable, variegated by a bright golden 

 yellow. Filament^ a cuniculated or piped triquetral column. 

 ■Anthers, feffile, erect, bearing their pollen on the outfide, con- 

 niving at the point, diverging below to admit the exit of the 

 ftigmas. Germen, obtufely trigonal, three-celled. Style, the 

 length of the filamental column, through the hollow of which it 

 pafles. Stigmas, three, filiform, bifid. Capfule, oblong, obtufely 

 trigonal, three-celled. Seeds, in double rows in each cell and 

 round. 



It is a native of Mexico and Peru, is properly a greenhoufe 

 plant, and fucceeds beft in light mould. :^eedlings will flower 

 the fecond year. It is beft to take up the bulbs the latter- 

 end of September or Oaober, and to keep them out of the 

 ground till the Spring*. 



* In every part of this paper, we have been very much afliiled by the liberal 

 communications of John Belle nden Gawler, Efq. 



