70 HANDBOOK OF IRIDEiE. 



middle. Spathes green, ventricose, 2 in. long. Pei-iantli campanu- 

 lute ; outer segments oblong, very obtuse, above an inch long, 

 greenish outside, inside copiously veined with dark brown on a pale 

 ground ; inner suborbicular, half as long, less veined with brown 

 on a pale lilac ground, not transversely banded. Anthers and 

 column each ^ iu. long. Genitalia as long as the inner segments. 



Hab. Mexico. Introduced into cultivation by Roezl in 1874. Described 

 from Van-Houtte's original specimens. According to Dr. S. Watson it has 

 since been gathered by Ciheisbreght & Duges, and the bulb is called " Jahuique " 

 and is eatable and tastes like chestnuts. 



4. H. Ehrhenbergii Schlecht in Linn, xviii. 664. — Spathe 

 diphyllous, 2 in. long. Perianth -segments unequal in length, the 

 outer elliptic, 1:^ in. long, slightly emarginate at the apex, dirty 

 yellow, with purplish brown spots inside, the inner about half as 

 long, ^ in. broad, with brown veins radiating from a basal blotch. 



Hab. Mexico, Ehrhenherg. (Not seen). 



9. RiGiDELLA Lindl. 



Perianth-inhe none ; segments very unequal ; outer oblong, 

 connivent in a cup in the lower third, then spreading or reflexed ; 

 inner very small, erect, ovate with a narrow claw. Filaments 

 united to the top in a cylindrical column ; anthers linear, ascend- 

 ing. Ovanj clavate, 3-celled ; ovules many, superposed ; style 

 slender, bitid above the middle, with two rather flattened forks, 

 which do not overtop the anthers. Capsule oblong, 3-valved 

 towards the top. Seeds subglobose, with a conspicuous raphe. — 

 llootstock a corm with membranous tunics. Leaves broad, plicate, 

 with a channelled petiole. Stem slender, branched. Pedicels pro- 

 truded from the spathes. Floicers fugitive, bright red. 



1. R. FLAMMEA Liudl. iu Bot. Reg. 1840, t. 16 ; Paxt. Mag. vii. 

 247. — Corm ovoid, 1^ in. diam. ; tunics brown, membranous. 

 Lower leaves, including the petiole, 1^-2 ft. long, 1-1 i in. broad 

 at the middle, narrowed to both ends. Stems forked, 2-3 ft. long. 

 Spathes 2-3 in. long; outer valves green, membranous; pedicels 

 cernuous. Perianth bright crimson, with a campanulate cup | in. 

 deep, and reflexing oblong segments twice as long as the cup, 

 minutely spotted with black at the base. Staminal column above 

 an inch long; anthers ^-^ in. Capsule clavate-oblong, above an 

 inch long. 



Hab. Mexico. Introduced into cultivation by Hartweg in 1839. R. orth- 

 nntlia Paxt. Mag. xiv. 121, Lemaire in Flore des Serres t. 46, is apparently a 

 mere form, with shorter stouter erect pedicels. A very robust Rigidella 

 gathered at San Felitre by Andrieux (78) is said to have yellow flowers. 



2. R. iMJiAcuLATA Herb, iu Reg. 1841, t. 1 ; Flore des Serres t. 

 502, 2215. — Perhaps not distinct from R. Jiammea, from which it 

 differs by its more slender habit, narrower leaves and smaller 

 flowers, with the limb of the outer segments not spotted with black 

 at the base. 



Hab. Mounlaius of GuatemaUi. Introduced into cultivation by Hartweg. 



