turbinate, fegments equal in length, uppermoft one twice nar- 

 rower than its lateral ones, lower ones narrower, far-attenuate 

 downwards or clawed. Parts of fructification nearly of one 

 length, arched-adfcendent. Filaments flattened. Flowers fmell 

 like fweet-briar. Being the Gladiolus alatus of Sp. PI. 

 and Amten. Acad, we have retained the fpecific name, though 

 riot die plant of Hort. Kew. or Jacquin % for which we intend 

 the name of viperatus, that being the " Sifyrinchium viperatum" 

 of Fluke net, and mottled in the manner and fomething the 

 colour of a viper's head -, of this we have never yet been able 

 to obtain a live fpecimen, but have feen a beautiful drawing of 

 it by Mr, Baui k> in the Bankuan library, from a plant that 

 flowered in the Kew garden fome years ago ; as likewife many 

 dried fpecimens*. Thunberg has united under the Gla- 

 diolus alatus three very diftinct fpecies, viz. ill. Gladiolus 

 galeatus, J acq. 2dly. Gladiolus alatus, Hort. Kew. and Jacq. 

 our viperatus. 3dly, The prefent plant ; which three fpecies, 

 together with Gladiolus permcabilis, De La Roche ; Gladi- 

 olus namaquenfis^ Bot. Rep. t. 122, and Gladiolus viridis, 

 Hort. Kew. add. form a very fingular and diftinct. lection in 

 this genus, agreeing in having the parts of fructification very 

 much arched, the upper lateral fegments of a more or lefs 

 rhomboidal form, very patent, and broad ; and, though they 

 differ materially in other points, have a finking refemblance in 

 the form of their corollas. 



Our figure was taken at Mr. Colville's Nurfery, in the 

 King's-Road, Chelfea (with whom it bloflbms in May) from a 

 fpecimen, the flowers of which were unufually luxuriant. 



Found by Thunberg in many fpots at the Cape 6i 

 Good Hope, where it feems to be very common. It is 

 among the moft beautiful of the tribe ; and, though not un- 

 common in different collections, is feldom feen m flower, 

 the reafon perhaps of its not appearing in Hort. Kew. for 

 there is fcarcely an arrival of Cape bulbs that does not 

 contain fome of the roots. Propagates very eafily by feed 

 and offsets. We have not yet learnt the mode of infuring its 

 flowering, but apprehend it requires rather more heat than many 

 of the genus. 



We prefume the fpecific name was fuggefted by the extended 

 wing-like appearance of the upper lateralfegmentsof the corolla; 

 fcarcely from the fomewhat winged appearance of the ftem ? 0, 



* Since this was written, we are happy to learn from a figure in the Botanifts 

 Repofitory for laft month (fee Gladiolus orckidifiarus, pi. 241) that the 

 country is (lill in poffeflion of this rare plant through the collection of Geo* 08 

 Hibbert, tfr], where it flowered in March laft. 



