66 rkipEz (Baker). [ Geissorhiza. 
perianth-tube ; filaments short, free, filiform ; anthers lanceolate, 
basifixed. Ovary oblong, 3-celled; ovules crowded in the cells ; 
style longer than the perianth-tube, with three short, falcate-subulate, 
undivided branches. Capsule small, oblong, membranous, loculicidally 
3-valved. Seeds globose or angled by pressure. 
Rootstock a small tunicated corm; leaves few, narrow, distichous ; flowers 
arranged in simple or forked lax spikes, very various in colour; outer spathe- 
valve oblong, obtuse, generally green and herbaceous, with a brown membranous 
edge. 
Very near Hesperantha, from which it only differs by its longer style, with 
shorter branches, and by its more membranous spathe-valves. 
Distets. Besides the Cape species, there is only one, with a very different 
capsule from any of them, in Central Madagascar. 
Perianth-tube shorter than the spathe : 
Flowers small; limb rarely above } in. long: 
Outer spnthe-valve entirely green : 
Flower typically yellow; throat concolorous : 
Leaves and stem glabrous : 
‘Flowers permanently yellow ... (1) humilis. 
Flowers turning blue when dried (2) ornithogaloides. 
Leaves and stem hairy sc fa 3) flava. 
Flower bright yellow, with a purple-black 
throat... eos oS ass .» (4) purpureo-lutea. 
Flowers reddish, with a concolorous throat : 
Leaves filiform, long... ...  ... (5) filifolia. 
Leaves filiform, short ... oi wee ee wepped. 
Leaves linear ... .... ... =... (7) Wrightii. 
Outer spathe-valve brown and membranous in 
the upper half: 
Stem and leaves glabrous .., pa . (8) secunda, 
Stem and leaves hairy : 
Leaves very short... tax .» (9) gracilis. 
Flowers larger : fecg es gern (0) 
Cauline sheath slender... .., (11) furva, 
eae: sheath loose and ventricose : 
OR RE ng oe an, vt AR 
Leaves glabrous : ) 
ee hess narrow, few-ribbed : 
erianth-segments with q 
nectaryat the base ... (13) rochensis. 
Perianth-segments without 
any nectary ‘as -. (14) Bellendeni. 
Basal leaves broad, many-ribbed (15) latifolia. 
Flowers yellow, or outer segments flushed with 
red outside : 
Throat of perianth concolorous : 
Basal leaves subterete --» (16) corrugata. 
wae oe ~_ = (17) imbricata. 
Wieder eee. GD) gamut, 
er as long as or a little longer than the 
Flowers one or few to a spike : 
Perianth-limb } in, long von ove wee (20) Dama. 
