57 



ELEUTHERINE anomala. 

 Anomalous Eleutherine. 



MONADELPIIIA TRIANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. Iridace^e. 



ELEUTHERINE. Herbert. Corraus acutS ovalis tunicatus ; folia 

 plicata; pei'ianthium fugax regulare ; filamenta libera tenuia ; stylus supcrnc 

 trifidus ; capsula trilocularis superne dehiscens chartaceus ; semina rugosa 

 siibrotunda. Gelasini et Nemostyli affinis. Eleutherine & Nemostylis Gela- 

 sinis forsitan sectiones ? — W. H. 



E. anomala (Herbert in litt.) ; foliis oblongis basi angustatis superioris petio- 

 latis floribus laxe pedunculatis longioribus, floribus hexandris. 



This singular little plant appeared in a flower-pot in the 

 garden of the Horticultural Society in April last, but its 

 oriffin is unknown. Its similarity to the West Indian Marica 

 plicata renders it probable that it had been imported from 

 that part of the world. From Marica plicata it diifers in its 

 dwarfishness, in the leaves tapering very evidently to the base, 

 while the uppermost have long channelled stalks, and are 

 much longer than the flowers. 



The great peculiarity, however, consists in the flowers 

 having six stamens instead of three, a circumstance previously, 

 we believe, unobserved in the Iridaceous order. Whether, 

 however, this was an accidental circumstance in the plant 

 now figured, or is peculiar to the species, is uncertain. The 

 increase in number of stamens is of the same nature as their 

 redundancy in Vellozia and Gethyllis. 



If the views of previous Botanists, as to the genus in 

 which this should be included, are consulted, we shall find one 

 placing its nearest ally in Sisyrinchium (Swartz), another in 

 Morsea (Swartz), and a third in Marica ( Ker) ; a pretty 

 good indication of its really belonging to none of them. The 

 regular flowers, free stamens, trifid slender-lobed style, ovate 

 corms, and plaited leaves are so peculiar as to have led the 

 Dean of Manchester to distinguish it under the name of 

 Eleutherine, a view we do not hesitate to adopt. It is indeed 

 inconceivable how it could ever have been referred to either 

 Morijea or Marica; its relation to Sisyrinchium is more 

 obvious ; the separate stamens, however, distinguish it. The 

 real affinity of the genus is, in Dr. Herbert's opinion, with 

 Gelasine. 



The following memorandum on the subject has reached us 

 from that gentleman since the above was in type : — 



