Mr. MiERS o« a new Genus of Plants from Chile. 97 



I never found them to be so. Although sometimes the monadelphous tube is 

 very short, in others it is united nearly throughout the length of the filaments ; 

 but in every other case I have always found short filaments manifest. It 

 appears to me therefore desirable that the genus Sisyrinchium should be con- 

 fined to those cases where the stamina are only partially united. Perhaps S. 

 odoratissimum of Cavanilles, a plant which he found in Commerson's Herba- 

 rium, and which appears to be the same as S. narcissoides, Lindley (Bot. Reg. 

 vol. XV. No. 1283.), who describes it as having entirely united stamens, should 

 be separated from Sisyrinchium, not only on that account, but because it pos- 

 sesses a long infundibuliform corolla, with more distinct markings and a very 

 odoriferous smell, a character quite at variance with all the other species of 

 that genus*. It differs from Solenomelus by its deeply cleft style and the 

 shape of its corolla ; and upon more solid grounds than those on which Liber- 

 tia has long ago been separated from Sisyrinchium, it may probably be admit- 

 ted as a separate genus under the name of Symphyostemon, in which case it 

 would occupy a place between Tigridia and Ferraria. The genus Sisyrin- 

 chium evidently requires a revision, but I have not at present materials at my 

 command to enable me to attempt it, although I have met with many pretty 

 and interesting species. It appears to me that several species added by Spren- 

 gel and others should be separated from Sisyrinchium, such as S. collinum, 

 Cav., S.Jiliforme, Spr. (Morcea fliformis, Thunb., M. virgata, Linn.), and S. 

 flexuosum, Spr. {M.flexuosa, Linn.), as they cannot belong to that genus on 

 account of their bifid stigmata, but must appertain more strictly to Morcea. 



EXPLANATION OF TAB. VIII. 



Fig. 1. A plant of Solenomelus Chilensis, of the natural size. 



2. A flower removed from the spatha. 



3. The pistillum, surrounded by the staminal tube. 



* To the same will also belong S. flexuosum, Lindl. non Spr., described by that eminent botanist in 

 the same work. 



VOL. XIX. O 



