is remarkably prone to luxuriance, forming abortive petals, 

 or fegments of petals within the claws of the larger fegments 

 of various forms, according to their greater or leis perfection, 

 and fuch have been miftaken by TnuNBERcin Iris pavoniahr 

 neftaries ; he defcribes them, •* neclaria tria intra petala majora, 

 ** fmgulum foliolam ova/ urn obtufum petaliforme ad bafin /' thefe 

 are fometimes prefent or not fo in the fame plant. To us it 

 appears impoffible to attribute to the union of the filaments, 

 either in this genus or Ixia, the importance ufually given it 

 by Linnaeus, without creating confufion and placing in diitin6t 

 claffes, orders, and genera, fuch plants as are fcarcely fpeci- 

 fically different; nor, on the other hand, are we able to lay 

 down any rule of exception by which fuch compliance with 

 the laws of his fyftem can be avoided, efpecially while Ga- 

 laxia, Ferraria, and Sisyrinchium, remain fo feparated 

 on that ground only. This union of filaments varies exceed- 

 ingly in both genera, fometimes not extending beyond the 

 bafe, fometimes to the middle, fometimes the whole length. 

 The fhape of the ftigma is alfo very fubje£l to variation, that 

 of Iris pavonia is very diftinft from our fpecies, nor do we. 

 think that Ferraria undnlaia can be feparated from the Cape 

 fpecies of Iris on that account only. De la Roche had al- 

 ready formed a new genus from Iris tricufpis, to which he 

 gave the name of Vieusseuxia, and if the Cape fpecies 

 (which form a very diftinct- and natural fe&ion, differing in 

 habit, as well as in not having their claws united in a tube, 

 but very ilightly connected at xheir bafe only), fliould be 

 at any time detached and formed into a new genus, his 

 name mould be retained, but his character muft be generalized ; 

 for, as it now Hands, it would fcarcely admit any fpecies but 

 the one from which it is formed. Our drawing was taken at 

 Meflrs. Grimwood and Wyke's, who received the bulb from 

 the Cape, and with whom we believe it has now flowered for 

 the firft time in Europe. The fynonym of Thunberg we 

 confider to be doubtful, only becaufe he does not notice its 

 pubefcence. Its time of flowering is a little earlier than 

 xhat of Iris irlcnfpis> viz. in April. G. 



