39 



* HYDROTiENiA Mele'agris. 

 Spotted Waterband. 



MONADELPHIA TBIANDRIA. 

 Nat. ord. Iridace^. 



HYDROT^NIA, Lindl. Perigonium campanulatum, subisomerum ; 

 petalis uuguiculatis supra unguem zona triangulari multiflora fasciatis. Sta- 

 mina 3, monadelplia sepalis opposita ; anthercB sessiles, basifixse, loculis cou- 

 nectivuni margiuantibus. Ovariuin apice liberum conicum ; ovula plurima, 

 angulo central! loculorum inserta ; stylus filiformis, apice trifidus : laciniis 

 tripartitis linearibus convolutis : intermedia nana antlieris opposita lateralibus 

 geminatim inter antheras projicientibus. 



Hydrotaenia Meleagris. Botanical Register, 1838, misc. no. 128. 



A full account of this very rare and curious plant is given 

 in the volume of this work for 1838 ; the accompanying 

 figure will complete its illustration. It was taken from a 

 plant which flowered last summer in the garden of the Horti- 

 cultural Society. 



Although in reality allied very closely to the genus 

 Sisyrinchium it has quite a different habit, imitating as it 

 were the Fritillaria in the Amaryllidaceous order. Its 

 appearance is by no means attractive, but the interior of the 

 flower, when carefully examined, will be found to exhibit 

 beauties of no common kind. The curious watery band, 

 which glitters as if covered with dew, or as if constructed out 

 of broken rock crystal, is one of the most curious objects I 

 know. The stigmata too are extremely remarkable ; each 

 divides into two arms, which are rolled up as if forming a 

 gutter, with a dense mass of bright papilla? at the end, and a 

 single tooth on the inner edge ; between the arms stands a 



* Is named from vcwp water, and Tcuma a band, in allusion to tlie bar of 

 shining water-like tissue which is placed on the petals in the form of two 

 sides of a triangle. 



