67 



preliendens ore membrana inconspicua staminifera niunito, limbus tubum 

 longe superaus reflexe patens laciniis uninervibus, filamenta vix inferne 

 dilatata petalina ore tubi sepalina parum infra inserta, antlierce parvulce, 

 stylus cylindricus brevis cito marcescens non deciduus, stigmata tria 

 brevia tenuia pateutia, capsiila subrotunda, folia linearia, seaiina obovata, 

 rugosa, nigra, hilo albido ; odor alliaceiis nullus. — TF. H. 



Sp. 1. C. Nerinijlorum ; bulbo parvulo, foliis dodrantalibus ^V unciae latis 

 subglaucis crassis dorso rotundato superficie subcanaliculateplana, caule 

 7-uuc. vel infra teaui, spatha f unc. univalvi lata 1-2-bracteata, pedun- 

 culis subdnodecim 2^ unc. vel infra, perianthio vix semunciali roseo- 

 purpurasceute stria media obscuriore. Habitat insula7n Chusan dictam. 

 Allium Chinense fl. dilute violaceis proculdubio Caloscordi species. 



This plant was sent to SpofFortli by J, Trevor Alcock, 

 Esq. who received it from Chusan when that island was 

 occupied by our troops, and it has since flowered three seasons. 

 The foregoing description renders it almost necessary to ad- 

 vert to Prof. Kunth's Enumeratio, &c. art. Asphcdelese. 

 The name Pseudoscordum was proposed (Herbert Amarylli- 

 dacese, Prelim. Tr. p. 11 & Index) for the scentless race of 

 Allium, as a genus distinguished from the rest ; Prof. Kuntli 

 has thought lit to separate them by the name Nothoscordum, 

 an alteration without cause which is not admissible ; but in 

 fact all these plants (as well as Uesperocordum, which does 

 not appear very clearly separable from Allium senescens and 

 some other species,) are perhaps to be considered rather as 

 sections of Allium. The public, when told that Prof. Kunth's 

 character of Pseudoscordum (named by him Nothoscordum) 

 extends to twenty-six closely printed lines, may perhaps ex- 

 pect to find that its separation from Allium is strictly defined ; 

 but it will be found that it is not directly distinguished there- 

 from by him in any one respect, and even the important fact 

 of the absence of the alliaceous scent is omitted ; the plant 

 beintT contrasted not with Allium, but with Dr. Lindlev's 

 Hesperocordum, which name he has also thought fit to alter 

 without reason to Hesperoscordium. And here it is neces- 

 sary to pause and enter a protest on behalf of the public 

 against Prof. Kunth's work altogether, as compiled on such 

 an injudicious plan, that as to generic characters it per- 

 plexes, instead of assisting, the inquirer. If the compiler 

 and arranger of such a work has any useful and legitimate 

 office, it is to simplify and render manifest the important 

 points by which vegetables are connected with each other, 

 and, subordinate to those demarcations, the lesser points 

 by which they are distinguished. Prof. Kunth, on the con- 



K -October, 1814. h 



