NAT. ORDER 



AmaryllidacecE. 



AMARYLLIS FORMOSISSIMA. JACOBEAN AMARYLLIS. 



Class VI. Hexandria. Order I. Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Perianth, declined. Tube, scarcely any, upper seg- 

 ments reflex, lower sloped downwards, convolute at the base 

 ^^W«^., inserted equally, with a connecting membrane at 

 the base of the perianth, fksciculate, declined and recurved 

 at the style. The upper Sej>haline, and the lower Peialine 

 shorter than the others. Anthers, pendulous, affixed one-third 

 from the top. 



Spe. Char. Perianth, six-parted, somewhat campanulate. Seg- 

 ments, acuminate ; the three upper-ones forming a kind of 

 crown. Leaves, ensiform. 



This beautiful plant is a native of South America, and, ac- 

 cording to Linnaeus, was known in Europe as long ago as the year 

 159c3. It IS also described by Parkinson in 1629, and placed by 

 him among the Daffodils. At that time stoves and green-houses 

 were unknown : consequently it is not to be wondered why it was 

 not more generally cultivated. 



Propagation and Culture. This is certainly one of the most 

 beautiful plants of the flower garden, and is considerably cultiva- 

 ted in some of the extensive gardens in England ; but in tU 

 United States it is at present but little known. The roots send 

 forth a large number of offsets, especially when they are kept in a 

 moderate warmth in winter. The roots of this plant will live in 

 a good green-house, or may be preserved through the winter un- 

 der a common hot-bed frame ; but in this case it will not flower so 



