1283 



SISYRl!?CHIUM* odoratissimum. 

 Fragrant Sisyrinchium. 



MONADELPHIA TRIANDRIA, or TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Irides;. 



SISYRINCHIUM. — Sziprd, vol. 13. fol. 1067. 



S. odoratissimum ; scapo tereti, foliis angustissimis glaucis caulis longi- 

 ludine, floribus long^ pedunculatis nutantibus infundibularibus : laciniis 

 sequalibus. 



Caulis pedalis sesquipedalisve. Folia angustissima, glauca, apice subu- 

 lata. Spatlia bracteis membranaceo-marginatis : injimd cceteris viagis 

 acuta. Floras plures, odoratisshni, nutantes, longe pedunculati, infundi- 

 buliformes, sordide albi, venis fusco-purpureis striati. Stamina 3, Jila- 

 mentis hi tubo longo connatis, tubi floris longitudine. Stigmata 3, fili- 

 formia, staminum longitudine. Ovarium 3-loculare, polyspermum. 



For this fragrant species of Sisyrinchium we are in- 

 debted to Mr. Mackay, of Clapton, in whose Nursery our 

 drawing was made, in June last. 



It is a native of some part of the southern coast of 

 South America, whence it was sent to Mr. Mackay by the 

 collector on board His Majesty's discovery ship, under 

 command of Captain King. It is perfectly hardy, having 

 stood last winter without any protection, when its leaves 

 were not even killed down. 



This species approaches Galaxia in the form of its 

 flower ; but is so similar to Sisyrinchium in habit, and in 

 every thing except the long tube of the flower, that it is 

 scarcely expedient to separate it from that genus. If others 

 should be of a diff"erent opinion, they must unite with it our 

 S. flexuosum, with v/hich it agrees in the form of the flower. 



We have here a new instance of what is called the 

 certainty and p?^ecision of the Linnaean system of Botany. 



• 'Suru^iyxiov of the Greeks was either the little bulbous plant now called Iris sisy- 

 rinchium according to Sprengel, or Trichonema bulbocodium according to Sibthorp. It 

 was so named because the roots were grubbed up by swine. 



2 K 



