Tab. 7850. 



FRITILLARIA askabadensis. 

 Native of Central Asia. 



Nat. Ord. Liliace^. — Tribe TvhitRM. 

 Genus Fb.itillaria, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 817.) 



FniTiLLARiA (Petilium) asJcahadensis ; elata, robnsta, foliosa, bulbo magno 

 globoso squamoso, caule superne coma foliorum floribusque coronato, 

 foliis leete viridibus sessilibus inferioribus sparsis lineari-oblongis lan- 

 ceolatisve aubacutia 4-5 poll. longis, superioribus 5-6 poll, longis sub- 

 verticillatis lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis, snpremie fasciculatis minoribus 

 angustioribua flexuosis, floribus 5-8 inter folia stiprema subverticillatia 

 cernuis inodoris, pedicellis i-| poll, longis decurvis bracteis parvis linear!- 

 bus, perianthii campanulati pallide flavo-viridia aegmentis poUicaribns 

 oblongis obtneis, basi dorso gibbia, nectario parvo depresso viridi, fila- 

 mentis brevibus, antheris lineari-oblongis erectis obtuse apiculatis aureis, 

 ovario trigone, 



F. askabadensia, Micheli in Journ. Soc. Sort. France, vol. iii. (19r2) p. 145. 

 Baker in Gard. Ghron. 1902, vol. i. p. 237, fig. 238. Journ. Eort. Ser. 3, 

 xliv. p. 293. 



The Askabad Fritillary is a very interesting plant, from 

 being a member of the Section Petilium, hitherto repre- 

 sented by a solitary species, the well-known Crown- 

 Imperial, "i^. imperialis, Linn. (tab. 194 and 1215), from 

 which it differs notably in the smaller campanulate flowers 

 of a greenish yellow colour. It was discovered by Mr. 

 Sintenis near Askabad, in the Eussian Transcaspian 

 region, not far from the north frontier of Persia, growmg 

 in a calcareous soil, at an elevation of about one thousand 

 two hundred and fifty feet above the sea level. Micheli 

 describes the flowers as proterandrous, and I suspect they 

 are dichogamous, for he describes the filaments as long, and 

 style elongate, with a tricuspid stigma, whereas the stamens 

 are short in our specimen, and the style short, trigonous, 

 and papillose. . .„ , 



I am indebted to Miss WiUmott, V.M.H., of Warloy 

 Place, Essex, for the specimen here figured, whicU 

 flowered in her garden in March, 1902. 



Descr.—Bulb large, globose, scaly. Stem tall, stout, 

 sparingly leafy below, crowned with a whorl of many 

 spreading, bright green leaves. Lower leaves scattered, 

 August 1st, 1902, 



