1085 



*TRITEI.EiA laxa. 

 Loose-jiowering Triteleia. 



HEXANDRIA MOfiOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Asphodele^. Juss. (^Introduction to the Natural System 

 of Botany, p. 273.) 



TRITELEIA Hooker. Perianthium tubulosum, subinfundibulare, mar- 

 cescens. Stamina 6, duplici serie inserta ; superioribus petalis oppositis. SquamcB 

 hypogynse nuUae. Ovarium SiEpius stipitatum, raro sessile, polyspermum ; stig- 

 mata trilobo. -Herbae (^Austro et Boreali Americana), cormis induviatis. 



Floras umbellati. 



T. laxa ; foliis linearibus glaucis scape longioribus, involucre pedicellis duple 

 breviore, pedicellis laxiusculis periantbio basi angustato aequalibus, ovario 

 longe stipitato, filamentis 6 decurrentibus basi cristatis, umbella multiflora. 



T. laxa. Bentham in Hort. Trans, vol. 1, n. s. p. 413, t. 15, f. 2. 



Involucrum membranaceum, scept 3-phyllum, sed jioribus numerosioribus 

 polyphyllum ; bracteis pedicellis brevioribus. Umbella multiflora, (6 — 20), 

 laxiuscula, Flores ccerulei, infundibulares , pedicellorum longitudiae, circa 

 ovarium marcescentes ; laciniis ovatis, dorso viridi-costatis, cxterioribus 

 paulb angustioribus et acutioribus. Stamina 6, duplici serie ordinata, tubo 

 adnata, Jilamentis elevatis basi incrassatis et crenulatis ; superiora petalis 

 opposita. Ovarium stipite longo curvo subhexagono imposilum, oblongum, 

 cyaneum, 3-loculare, polyspermum ; stylus unicus brevis ; stigma trilobum. 



Mr. Bentham remarks that this is "a very handsome 

 plant, the scape of which is from a foot to eighteen inches 

 high. Its flowers are about the size of those o^ Brodicea 

 grandijiora, and of the same deep blue colour. They grow 

 in a lax umbel, but notwithstanding the length of their 

 stalks stand nearly erect ; the scape is, however, apt to be 

 procumbent if not supported. It seeds freely, and will soon 

 be very common." 



No plant can be more easy to cultivate ; it will grow in 

 common garden soil, but prefers such a mixture of peat, 



* From Tpiiq three, and riXewQ complete, in allusion to the perfectly 

 ternary arrangement of its parts. 



f2 



