[ i 4 68 ] 



scilla brevifolia. rootsheathed 



Cape Squill. 



# % $ $ ♦ ♦ ♦ # $ #♦ $ ♦ $ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ -% 



Generic Characler. — Fid. N h - 663, 746, 918, 919, et 1185 verf.fol. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



SCILLA Irevifolia,; bulbo globofo ; foliis paucis (4 — 5) ereclo- 

 divergentibus, carnofis, femitereti-linearibus, fubacutis, 

 vagina radicali herbaceo-membranacea convoluto-oblonga 

 cum acumine, ipfis parum breviore, (nunc tota de humo 

 ex t ante, nunc in ea femiimmerfd, nunc expli cat a foliis afiante, nunc 

 ijla ar£ie invohente) ; fcapo foliis altiori; raccmo laxius 

 fpicato, fubfecundo, nutante, pluri (6 — 8 floro) pediccllis 

 flexilibus, flore paulo brevioribus ; brafteola fingulari 

 minuta obfoletave; corolla nutante ad cernuam, fexpartita, 

 de fundo breviter conftrifto fubrotato-campanulata, laciniis 

 fubaequalibus, lanceolato-oblongis ; ftaminibus alterne bre- 

 vioribus, longioribus corolla fub quartam brevioribus. G. 



HYACINTHUS brevifolius. Thunb. Prod. FL cap. 63. Willd. 

 Sp. PL 2. 168. 



When the rootfheath does not unfold, but remains rolled 

 together, enclofing the lower part of the foliage, (which is the 

 cale in many fpecimens where the root has grown fomewhat 

 deeper in the ground than that of ours) then the leaves have 

 the appearance of being very fhort; and Thun berg's name 

 characterizes the fpecies much better than in the individual re- 

 prefented in our figure, where this is unrolled and the leaves 

 lie open their whole length. Scape fometimes nearly twice the 

 length of the leaves, which are from two to near three inches 

 long, and about a line and half broad. Comes very near to the 

 Hyacinthus corymbofus of Thunberg, already given by us 

 under the name of Massonia corymbofa (fee No. 991); but 

 which, we now think, fhould have been referred to Scilla, 

 (fee note at end of this article). It differs, however, from that, 

 in having a fcape that is not {horter than the leaves, a raceme 

 that is not ereft and corymbofe, by its large rootfheath and 

 nearly obfolete braftes. Imported from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, by Meffrs, Lee and Kennedy, in whofe collection it 



flowered 



