101 



the cuuings emit roots in the spring; water being freely given lu 

 summer, and shelter again in uinter. In the spring rollowing they 

 should be planted out in a sheltered place in the nursery, to attain 

 proper growth lor the shrul)bery quarters. 



'I'he first affords an ornamental effect in tlie fronts of clumps and 

 other parts of shrubberies, and the others ui assemblage with oilier 

 potted plants of similar growth. 



2. BULBOCODIUM VEKNUM 



SPRING BULBOCODIUM. 



This genus contains a plant of the bulbous-rooted flowering pe- 

 rennial kind. Mountain Saffron. 



It belongs to the class and order Hexandr'ia Monogijnia, and ranks 

 in the natural order oi' Spal/uicece. 



The characters are: that there is no calyx: ihe corolla hexapeta- 

 lous, funnel-lorm: claws very long, linear: throat connecting the 

 petals: border erect: petals lanceolate, concave: the stamina con- 

 sist of six subulate fdaments, inserted into the claws of the petals: 

 tlie anthers are incumbent: the pistillum is an ovate subulate germ, 

 obtusely three-cornered, and superior: the style is filiform, the length 

 of the stamens: the stigmas three, oblong, erect and channelled: the 

 pericar|)ium is a triangidar, acuminate capsule, angles obscure, and 

 three-celled: the seeds are numerous. 



There is only one s|)ecies cultivated for ornament, B. vernnm, 

 Spring-flowering iiulbocodium. 



In this the bulb or root resembles that of common colchieum in 

 shape, but is much smaller; it is covererl v/ilh a d.ukiHown skin. 

 In January, or before the middle t)f the f llowing month, the flower 

 springs up inclosed within three brownish-gi(-cn .'cavts, Avhich oj)en- 

 ing themselves as soon almost as tiiey are (jut of the ground, show 

 their buds for flowers within them very white oiteniimes, before they 



