140 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
3-valved. Seeds numerous, obovate-subglobose, with a coriaceous 
testa. 
Small herbs with oblique-based corms enclosed in a stout smooth 
chestnut envelope. Leaves mostly radical, linear, subtriquetrous, 
simple or branched. Flowers 1 or few, sessile, terminal, often lilac or 
purple, enclosed in a 2-valved herbaceous scape. 
The name of this genus appears to be derived from the Greek words Opi5 (genitive 
zptxéc), hair; and vjpa, a filament. 
SPECIES lI—TRICHONEMA COLUMNZ. Reich. 
Pirate MCCCCXCII. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. [X. Tab. CCCLIV. Figs. 784 and 785. 
Billot, F). Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 1337. 
T. Bulbocodium, Sm. Engl. Fl. Vol. I. p.48. Benth. Handbk. Brit. Bot. ed. ii. p. 466. 
Romulea Column, Seb. & Maur. Parl. Fl. Ital. Vol. IIT. p. 253. 
Ixia Bulbocodium, Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 2549, Excl. Syn. 
Leaves filiform, recurved, furrowed. Stem 1- rarely 2- or 3-flowered. 
Spathe longer than the tube of the perianth. Stamens about as long 
as the pistil. Stigmas 2-lobed. 
On sandy commons. Very rare. Dawlish Warren, near Exmouth, 
Devon. “The exact spot is on the left of the old road from Exeter 
to Dawlish before ascending the hill to Mount Pleasant, and almost in 
front of the small cottages there ; it extends at intervals to the ferry.” 
(Mr. John Milford, in “ Magazine of Natural History,” vol. vii. p. 
272.) Not uncommon in sandy districts in Jersey and Guernsey. 
England. Perennial. Spring. 
Corm about the size of a small pea, ovate-subglobular, oblique at the 
base as in Colchicum, but the bud in Trichonema is produced at the 
apex; coverings of the bulb leathery, smooth, chestnut, split at the 
apex. Leaves very slender, wiry; 1 to 4 inches long, cylindrical, 
slightly compressed, with a narrow furrow on the upper side. Stem 
when in flower 1 to 3 inches long, in fruit 3 to 6 inches. Outer 
valve of spathe about } inch long, herbaceous, with numerous ribs ; 
inner valve placed higher on the pedicel, its apex reaching as high as 
that of the outer valve, scarious, marked with elongate brown points. 
Flowers suberect or slightly inclined. Perianth segments 3 inch long, 
pale bluish-lilac with darker stripes, the outer ones tinged with green 
on the back, the throat pale yellow. Stamens shorter than the peri- 
anth segments; anthers yellow. Fruit pedicels elongate, curved. 
Capsule the size of a small pea. Seeds subglobose in a coriaceous 
chestnut testa. 
