SWISS FLOWERS. 115 



95. Gagea. 



(PLATE LV.) 

 Gagea Liottardi, or Ornithogalum fistulosum (Fig. 95). 

 This plant very much resembles the common Star of 

 Bethlehem, and, indeed, used to be classed with it, 

 though now separated into a family called Gagea, dis- 

 tinguished from the other by the yellow colour of its 

 flowers, and by having the six stamens thread-like, not 

 flattened as in the Ornithogalum. The Gageas have roots 

 with one, two, or more bulbs ; two, or only one, root leaves, 

 long, reaching beyond the head of blossoms, which grow 

 in a kind of umbel of from one to five flowers, with two 

 bracts, sometimes even three, at its base ; these bracts are 

 leaf-like, unequal in length, and longer than the flowers. 

 The species seem to have been unnecessarily multiplied, 

 depending on whether there are one, two, or three bulbs 

 to the flower, one or two root-leaves, or on the number of 

 the involucral leaves. G. Liottardi, though spoken of as 

 having only one root-leaf generally, has been found with 

 two, and appears to be the same as that described under the 

 name G. fistulosa. There are two, or three, bracteal leaves, 

 with an umbel of from three to five flowers, the flower-stalks 

 woolly. Pastures of the high mountains : Zermatt, La 

 Tournette near Annecy, Mont Grenier near Chambery. 



