480 ORNITHOGALUM. [class vi. ORDER I. 



pale thin membranous bractea, lanceolate, with an elongated point, 

 and about as long as the footstalk. Perianth of six narrow elliptical 

 pieces, obtusely pointed, white within, green at the back, with a white 

 margin. Stamens arising from the base of the segments of the 

 perianth, and about half as long, white, thin, and membranous in 

 the lower half, the upper awl shaped. Anthers yellow, oblong, in- 

 cumbent. Stj/le short, with an obtuse three-cleft stigma. Capsule 

 obovate, enveloped in the persistent perianth, somewhat three furrowed 

 and three angled, three celled, each cell with several seeds. 



Habitat.— Mesidov/s and pastures in Somersetshire, Sussex, and 

 Bedfordshire. 



Perennial; flowering in June and July. 



This species is nearly allied to O. Pyrenaiciim^ which is distinguished 

 by the scape appearing before the leaves, the raceme being shorter, 

 the peduncles longer than the braclea. The flowers are sulphur 

 coloured, or a greenish yellow, with a green back, the germen orbi- 

 cular, and the peduncles erect, close pressed to the scape. O. Pyre- 

 naicum is, moreover, always found in mountainous districts, and not 

 in meadows or pastures in open situations, -like the present species. 



2. O. umbel'latum, Linn. (Fig. 545.) Common Star of Bethlehem. 

 riowers corymbose ; peduncles longer than the bractea, spreading in 

 fruit ; filaments subulate ; leaves linear, smooth, with a pale groove. 



English Botany, t. 130.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 143.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p 161.— Lindley, Synopsis, p. 268. 



Bulb ovate, white, abundantly increasing by off"sets from the base. 

 Leaves radical, linear, smooth, shining, flaccid, round at the back, 

 concave in front, and marked with a pale white line the whole length, 

 acuminated at the point, but soon withering. Scape erect, round, 

 smooth, from six to twelve inches high, as long or longer than the 

 leaves, naked, terminating in a corymbose inflorescence, oi from five to 

 ten flowers, the peduncles round, smooth, the lower ones mostly reach- 

 ing to a level, with the top ones, straight, spreading, becoming .some- 

 what curved upwards near the end when in fruit, and each having at 

 its base a pale thin striated membranous tapering lanceolate bractea, 

 about half as long as the peduncles, persistent. Flowers a clear white 

 within, externally green, with a broad white thin margin. Perianth 

 spreading, of six concave elliptic obtuse lanceolate segments, about 

 half an inch long, striated externally with longitudinal veins. Stamens 

 with pale thin membranous filaments, tapering upwards. Anthers 

 large, yellow, ovate oblong, incumbent, two celled, bursting laterally. 

 Style straight, slender, reaching to the anthers. Stigma obtuse. 



Habitat. — Meadows and pastures in various parts of England, 

 though not common. Near Glasgow, scarcely \\ild. 



Perennial ; flowering in April and May. 



This, as it is probable the whole of the Ornithogalums found in 



