IXIA. 161 



oblong segments. Stamcnn inserted at the tlu'oat of the perianth- 

 tube ; filaments short, filiform, rarely connate ; anthers linear, 

 basifixed. Ovary oblong, 3-colled ; ovules many, superposed ; style 

 exserted from the perianth-tube, with 3 sliort falcate branches. 

 Capsule small, oblong, membranous, loculicidally B-valved. Seeds 

 small, globose or angled by pressure. — liootstock a small globose 

 corm with fibrous tunics. Leaves linear. Flowers arranged in 

 simple or panicled spikes ; spathes of two short oblong membranous 

 or chartaceous valves, the outer more or less distinctly tricuspidate. 

 Many of the species are very variable and indefinite in limitation. 



Subgenus Ixia proper. Perianth-tube short, cylindrical. Sta- 

 mens free. 



Flowers small (limb ^— I in. long) . . . Sp. 1-4. 

 Flowers larger, concolorous at the throat . . Sp. 6-10. 

 Flowers larger, with a purple-black throat . . Sp. 11-14. 



Subgenus Eurydice. Perianth-tube short, cylindrical. Fila- 

 ments more or less connate ..... Sp. 15. 



Subgenus Morphixia. Perianth-tube short, dilated into a dis- 

 tinct funnel at the top ...... Sp. 16-20. 



Subgenus Hyalis. Perianth-tube long, cylindrical, slightly 

 dilated in the upper part ...... Sp. 21-24. 



1. I. poLYSTACHYA Liun. Sp. Plant, 51 ; Andr. Bot. Kep. t. 155. 

 I. erecta Berg ; Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 623. /. serotina, Salisb. 

 (Miller, Ic. tab. 155, fig. 2). — Corm globose, -i-f in. diam. ; tunics 

 of fine parallel fibres. Produced leaves about 4 at the base and 2 

 above it, linear, glabrous, 1-1 ft. long. Stem slender, 1-2 ft. long, 

 simple or branched ; spikes dense, many-fiowered ; outer spathe- 

 valve oblong, tricuspidate, pale green, ^ in. long. Perianth with a 

 cylindrical tube as long as or a little longer than the spathe ; seg- 

 ments oblong, white, concolorous, -J-^ in. long. Anthers ^ in. 

 long ; filaments short. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; south-western in'ovinces. Var. ornata Baker has the 

 segments tinged with red outside ; /. bicolorata Klatt, a pale yellow flower, 

 tinged violet outside; and I. Jiavescens Ecklon, 'a pale yellow flower, with less 

 spreading segments than in the type. 



2. I. FLExuosA Linn. Sp. Plant. 51 ; Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 624. 

 /. erecta var. violacea Thunb. /. capitata var. stelluta Audr. Bot. 

 Rep. t. 232. I. thi/rsi/lora Delar. I. puhjstadiya Eed. Lil. t. 136. 

 — Dift'ers from /. poli/stachi/a only in the colour of the flowers, 

 which ranges through various shades of red and lilac, without a 

 distinct basal blotch. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; south-western provinces. I. tcnclla Klatt (Miller, Ic. 

 t. 1.56, flg. 2) is a variety with bluish flowers, with a pale yellow tliroat. 

 I.palUde-rosea Eckl. is a form with pale red flowers tinged with lavender out- 

 side, with narrow segments. 



3. I. HYBRiDA Ker in Konig et Sims, Ann. i. 227. /. fie.mtosa 

 Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 128. — Intermediate between poli/stachi/a and 



