C 895 ] 



WlTSENIA GCRYMBOSA.: CORYMBOSE 

 WlTSENIA. > 



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C/o/ir tf//J Order. 

 Triandria Monogynia. 



Generic Characler, 



Inflor. aut fafciculata, involucro brafteis pluribus minoribus 

 quafi imbricatim calyculato, aut paniculata fingulo flore fpatha 

 bivalvi uni-brafteata excepto. Cor. regularis, aequalis ; vel 

 tubulofa limbo 6-partito, vel tota hexapetalo-partita. Stam. 

 erefta, laciniarum baft adnata. Stigm. tria. Cap/, putaminea, 

 trifariam dehifcens. Sem. plura, angulato-preffa. G. Fid. 

 Ann. of Bot. v. 1. p. 236. 



Specific Characler and Synonyms* 



WlTSENIA corymbofa inflorefcentia corymbofo-paniculata ; 

 fpatha bivalvi unibracleata ; corolla hypocrateri- 

 fbrmi ; tubo erefto fpatham pluries, limbum ex- 

 planatum parum, excedente; filamentis fubnullis; 

 piflillo corollam fubfuperante. G. 



A new fpecies, probably the firft of the genus ever culti- 

 vated in an European garden. Raifed from feeds received 

 from the Cape of Good Hope by Mr. Hibbert at Clapham. 

 Agrees in herb with the three fpecies enumerated in the Annals 

 of Botany, v. 1. p. 237, but differs from them widely in its 

 inflorefcence, which is a many-flowered corymbofe panicle, 

 borne on a flat two-edged rachis and pedicles. This is the only 

 genus of the order that has any thing of a frutefcent habit ; 

 the rootftock becomes woody and lengthens into a flat ftem, 

 covered with enfiform flabellately diftich leaves, which are im- 

 bricatcly equitant towards their bafes ; this ftem is analogous 

 to the rootftock of the Iris, but is lignefcent, flender, and 

 upright, inftead of being flelhy, thick, and procumbent. The 

 prefent plant appears to. be the connecting link of its genus with 

 Lapeyrousia, fee plate 595, and probably on its other fide 

 alfo with Aristea, fee A. cyanea s No. 458. Requires the 

 protection of a greenhoufe j flowers in September j fcentlefs. G» 



