Dierama. | IRIDEZ (Baker). 87 
Stamens inserted at the throat of the perianth-tube ; filaments 
short, free ; anthers linear, sagittate, erect. Ovary oblong, 3-celled ; 
ovules crowded in the cells; style longer than the perianth-tube, 
with 3 short, entire, clavate, spreading branches. Capsule small, 
membranous, obtuse, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds small, globose or 
angled by pressure. 
Tall herbs, with large corms; long, rigid, distichous, linear leaves; flowers in 
panicled spikes, and long-pointed membranous spathe-valves. 
Distrrs. Only one species, in a broad sense, which extends its range to the 
mountains of Tropical Africa, 
Perianth-limb 4-1 in. long ix cas ‘ae a (1) pendula, 
Perianth-limb 13-1} in. long... ae ses ae (2) pulche 
1. D. pendula (Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc, xvi. 99); corm large, 
globose, with cylindrical root-fibres, and dry coats of parallel fibres, 
splitting up into long bristles at the top; basal leaves about 
half-a-dozen in a rosette, linear, very rigid in texture, acuminate, 
strongly nerved, 14-2 ft. long, $ in. broad; stems erect, terete, 
very slender, 3-4 ft. long, including the inflorescence; spikes 
several, very slender, cernuous, with the flowers crowded at 
the top; spathe-valves lanceolate-acuminate, very thin in texture, 
white more or less brown dotted or brownish, not lacerated, the 
outer about # in. long; flowers varying in colour from white to 
pale or dark mauve-purple; perianth-tube 4-} in. long; limb 
¥-1 in. long ; stamens half as long as the limb, the anthers much 
longer than the filaments; style-branches ~; in. long. Handb. 
Trid. 159. Ixia pendula, Linn. fil. Suppl. 91; Thund. Diss. No. 16; 
Prodr.9; Fl. Cap. i. 236. Sparaxis pendula, Ker in Bot. Reg. 
t. 1360; Gen. Irid. 92. Watsonia palustris, Pers. Syn. i. 43. 
D. ensifolium, K. Koch and Bouché in Walp, Ann. vi. 43; Klatt in 
Linnea xxxii, 751. D. cupuliflora, Klatt in Decken Bot. Ost- 
Afrika 73, t. 3; Ergiénz. 54. D. ignea, Klatt, Erganz. 54. 
Var. 8, pumila (Baker); leaves very narrow, whole flower not more than 
4 in. long, white or purple like the type. 
Coast Recion: Humansdorp Div.; near the Kromme Biver, Thunberg ! 
Alexandria Div,; Zuurberg Range, Drége! Albany Div.; along the rivulet at 
Grahamstown, Burchell, 3529! Stockenstrom Div.; Katberg, Drége / 
Cenrrat ReGion: Somerset Div. ; Boschberg, 4500 ft., MacOwan. 
gpm REsion ; Transvaal ; pesca oy 1 near Barberton, 4000- 
. ; ! tate, Cooper, ! 
Easreus Reoron, Kaffrare; Hutton ? Tembuland; Bazcia Mts. 2000-3000 fe, 
Baur, 529! Griqualand East; near Kokstad, Tyson, 1558! and MacOwan and 
Sep Herb, Norm., 1201! Natal; _— oS | Ereee ee ag gg 
t ! on the C ood, ! Inanda, ‘ 
1369 3 Var Bical Duckonss t Dualaaies 1 Baadérced, 761 Plater Mazitc- 
burg, 2000-3000 ft., Sutherland ! 
2. D. pulcherrima (Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xvi. 99); habit 
entirely that of D. pendula, but more robust, with broader leaves, 
stems sometimes 5-6 ft. long, spathes 1-1} in. long, and much 
larger flowers, typically bright blood-purple, with a funnel-shaped 
