C 904 J 
MELANTHIUM VIRIDE. BRANCHING 
MELANTHIUM. 
JHE inbdeebeee 
Clafs and Order. 
HEXANDRIA TRIGYNIA, 
Generic CharaGer. 
Brafee nulle. Cor. infera, regularis, equalis, ex hexapetalo- 
partita varie patente ad hypocrateriformem, unguibus in tubum 
angulofum coalitis, laminis ftellatim aut rotatim folutis. Stam. 
aut immediate hypogyna, aut adnata unguibus, aut per tubulum 
decurrentia. Sty/i 3, ftigmatofi, roftratim continui, perfiftentes, 
raro filiformes, decidui. Cap/. coriacea, varie pulvinatim tri- 
gona. Sem. plurima, fubglobofa vel compreffo-orbiculata. G, 
Oxs. Radix bulbus folidus, ovato-pyramidatus, hinc bafi oblique depreffus, 
membrana fapius cruftacea vel fubputaminea tectus ; a fe ipfo quatannis renafcens 
Srugifer, dum ille precedentis anni (funéta modo vice matricis, cateroquin 
frerilefcens) totus emarcefeit. Folia tria-plurima difticha canaliculato- 
lanceolata, vel anguftiora convoluta-concava, rarius fubjfftulofa, deorfum 
vaginantia, conduplicantia. Scapus de fubnullo bipedalem ufque. Inflor. 
1-multiflora, vel fpicata, vel racemofa-paniculata pedunculis magis minufve 
decurrenter adnatis, modo fubcorymbofa. Stigmata parum manifefla, ad 
lentem rimule oblique dehifcentes. Filam. fetaces-fubulata. a eer lacinia 
ad infra ufque germen fint diftincte perftat corolla, dum vero co arefcunt ifte, 
ut quomodacungue diétum cingant organum, per ejufdem incrementum tan- 
dem dejicitur. Genus Tuttr® adeo propinquum ut vix detur unde 
diftinguere. G, 
Specific Charaéfer and Synonyms. 
MELANTHIUM viride foliis canaliculato-lanceolatis; caule— 
foliofo paniculato-racemofo, pedunculis uni- 
floris deorfum decurrenter-adnatis; corolla 
perfiftente, cernua, laciniis reflexis juxtim ’ 
fupra genu areola colorata cum difco f{cro- 
biculatim depreffo notatis ; ftylis deciduis, 
filiformibus, ftamina exfuperantibus, diva- 
ricatis. G. 
MELANTHIUM viride. Linn, Suppl. 213. Hort. Kew. 1. 
488. Thunb. Prod. 67. Bot. Rep. t. 233. 
Willd. Sp. Pl. 2. 269. 
ORNITHOGLOSSUM ¢glaucum. Parad. Lond. t. 54, 
Our drawing was made from a plant that flowered in De- 
cember laft, at Mr. Hissert’s garden, Clapham. The fpecies 
was brought into this country from the Cape of Good Hope, 
by 
