289 



ON lANTlIE, A GENUS OF HYPOXIDACE^. 



By Frederic N. Williams, F.L.S. 



(Plate 425.) 



In the two editions of Species Plantanim Linnasiis describes 

 eleven species of Auutn/IUs. Afterwards, in the twelfth edition of 

 Systema Naturce (1767), he describes another, Atnanjllis undulata 

 (now known as Nerine undulata Herb.). Lastly, A. dubia, though 

 usually cited^as of Linnaeus (and now known as Hippeastrum 

 eqiiestre Herb.), is described in a paper read by J. Aim in June, 

 1775, and afterwards published in the eighth volume of Anuenitates 

 Academical (1785), edited by Schreber seven years after the death of 

 Linnaeus. Other species were subsequently without adequate 

 consideration adduced to the loosely characterized Amanjllis of 

 Linnaeus, until Ker, Dean Herbert, and others, so disintegrated the 

 genus, that in its depleted state it is now represented in the Index 

 Kewensis by a single species, Amaryllis Belladonna. Link, to include 

 this plant, characterized much more satisfactorily the genus Calli- 

 core,-' taking up the plant under the name of C. rosea, which is 

 an eminently suitable name ; and adding also three others, which 

 are now, however, included in Hippeastrum. It would not be a 

 matter for regret if Amaryllis, now limited to a single species, 

 which occurs only in Cape Colony and the Canary Isles, were to 

 disappear from the list of generic names, in favour of Link's more 

 clearly defined genus Callicore. With the disappearance of Ama- 

 ryllis there would be no advantage in retaining the derivative 

 names of " Amaryllidace^ " and " Amaryllide^ " ; and the ordinal 

 and tribal names of '' Hypoxidaceae " and " Hypoxideae," used by 

 Lindley and by Robert Brown respectively for the same group of 

 genera, if applied with a wider significance, would be more appro- 

 priate, as being based on a genus which is represented by species 

 which range from South Africa and Tropical Africa, across South 

 Asia, and the whole of the Australasian continent, to North 

 America. The tribe of Hypoxidem has at various times by com- 

 petent authorities been included in Liliacece, Iridacea, and Hcvmo- 

 doracece, and the name, used in the ordinal sense with this wider 

 significance, would thus serve to emphasize phylogenetic affinities, 

 which are not sufficiently implied in the use of the other ordinal 

 name.! 



In his Synopsis of Hypoxidacc(B,\ Mr. J. G. Baker includes four 

 genera. Of these four genera, Pauridia has since been shown to 



* Handbuch z. Erkennuny d. Geiodchse, i. p. 193 (1829). 

 t See also Caruel in N. Gioni. Bot. Ital. x. p. 91 (1878). 

 I Journ. Linn, Soc. xvii. (1878). 



Journal OF Botany. — Vol. 39. [Sept. 1901.] y 



