HESPERANTHA, 147 



valved. Sci'ils small, angled. — Differs from TIesperantha, as from 

 all the other Ixieae, by its non-bulbous rootstock. 



1. S. cocciNEA Backh. et Harv. in Bot. Mag. t. 5422. — Eoot- 

 fibres densely tufted, some rather fleshy. Basal-leaves 2-3, linear, 

 grass-like, 1-1^- ft. long. Stem slender, terete, 1-2 ft. long, bear- 

 ing 2-3 reduced leaves. Flowers 6-12 in a lax or dense distichous 

 spike ; outer spathe-valve oblong-navicular, green, an inch or more 

 long ; inner shorter. Perianth-tube slender, an inch long ; seg- 

 ments oblong and bright red, an inch long. Anthers ^ in. long, as 

 long as the filaments. Style-branches f in. long. 



Hab. Cajw Colony ; eastern provinces, from Kaffraria northward to Natal 

 and the Transvaal. 



2. S. PAuciKLORA Klatt in Linnsa, xxxv. 380. S. iodoides Harv. 

 — Habit of S. coccinea, but spathe shorter, perianth-tube twice as 

 long as the spathe, and limb shorter than the tube. 



Hab. Orange Free State, Natal and the Transvaal. 



40. Hesperantha Ker. 



Perianth rotate, with a cylindrical tube and 6 subequal oblong 

 spreading subequal segments. Stamens inserted at the throat of the 

 tube ; filaments filiform ; anthers lanceolate, basifixed. Ovary 3- 

 celled ; ovules many, superposed; style not longer than the perianth- 

 tube, with 3 long subulate branches. Capsule small, turbinate, 

 loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds small, globose or angled by pressure. 

 — Rootstock a small corm, with a flat base. Leaves few, narrow, 

 distichous. Flowers small, various in colour, arranged in a dis- 

 tichous spike ; spathe-valves herbaceous, generally about as long as 

 the perianth-tube. Very near to Geissorhha. 



Flowers erecto-patent. Perianth-tube straight. 



Flowers small (|— |- in. diam.) . . . Sp. 1-16. 



Flowers larger Sp. 1 7-23. 



Perianth-tube curved Sp. 24-26. 



1. H. ALPiNA Benth. Gen. Plant, iii. 703. Geissorldza alpina 

 Hook. fil. — Corm small, globose. Basal leaves 2-3, linear, erect, 

 glabrous, 3-4 in. long. Stem simple, ^-1 ft. long, bearing 1-2 

 reduced leaves. Flowers few, in a lax spike ; outer spathe-valve 

 oblong, green, ^-f in. long. Perianth-tube straight, ^-^ in. long ; 

 segments oblong, as long as the tube, the inner white, the outer 

 claret-red outside. Style-branches \ in. long. 



Hab. Cameroon mountains, Guinea, alt. 8000 — 10,000 ft. Gathered by 

 Mann in 1862 and H. H. Johnston in 1880. 



2. H. Petitiana Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xvi. 93. Ixia 

 Petitiana A. Eich. — Corm small, globose. Basal leaves 2, erect, 

 linear, glabrous, 6-9 in. long. Stem simple, a foot long, with a 

 long sheathing leaf. Flowers few, in a lax spike ; outer spathe- 

 valve oblong, pale green, ^-| in. long. Perianth-tube straight, 

 i in. long ; segments oblong, ^ in. long ; the inner white, the outer 



l2 



