WATSONIA. 175 



Gladiolus aletroldes Valil. O. tiihulosns Jacq. Ic. t. 229. — Corm 

 globose, 1 in. diam. ; tunics of reticulated fibres, bristly at the top. 

 Basal leaves 4-6, ensiform, rigid, ^-1 ft. long. Stem 1-2 ft. long, 

 simple or branched, bearing several reduced leaves. Flowers 6-12, 

 laxly spicate; lower drooping ; spathe-valves oblong-lanceolate, 

 ^-1 in. long. Perianth bright scarlet or pale pink, with a curved 

 tube 1^ in. long, narrowly funnel-shaped above the middle ; seg- 

 ments oblong, ^-^ in. long. Stamens reaching nearly to the tip of 

 the segments. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; southern provinces and Kaffraria. 



2. W. ANGUSTA Ker in Konig & Sims, Ann. i. 230. TF. fithfida 

 Salisb. W. atrosawjuinea Klatt. W. iridifolia var. Juhjens Ker in 

 Bot. Mag. t. 600. Anthoh/za fuh/ens Andr. Bot. Kep. t. 192. 

 Gladiolus Merianus var., Jacq. Ic. t. 231. — Corm globose, 1-lf in. 

 diam. ; tunics fibrous. Basal leaves 4-6, ensiform, rigid, 1-2 ft. 

 long. Stems usually branched, reaching a length of 3-4 ft., bearing 

 a few reduced leaves. Spikes lax, 6-9 in. long ; outer spathe-valve 

 oblong-lanceolate, rigid, brown, f-1 in, long. Perianth bright 

 scarlet, with a curved tube 1|- in. long, narrowly funnel-shaped iu 

 the upper half; segments oblanceolate-obloug, cuspidate, ^-\ in. 

 long. Stamens reaching to the tip of the perianth-segments. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; southern provinces and Kaffraria. 



3. W. Meriana Miller, Gard. Diet. edit. vi. No. 1 (Ic. ii. 184, 

 t. 276). W. latura Klatt. Antholi/za Meriana Liun. ; Bot. Mag. 

 t. 418. Gladiolus Merianus Red. Lil. t. 11 ; Jacq. Ic. t. 230. — - 

 Corm globose, 1-1|- in. diam. ; tunics of reticulated fibres, tipped 

 with bristles. Basal leaves 3-4, ensiform, rigid, 1-2 ft. long. 

 Stems 2-3 ft. long, usually branched, bearing a few reduced leaves. 

 Spikes lax, 6-9 in. long ; spathe-valves oblong-lanceolate, brown, 

 rigid, |-1 in. long. Flowers bright rose-red, rarely scarlet or 

 white. Perianth with a curved tube 1^-2 in. long, narrowly 

 funnel-shaped in the upper half, and oblong-cuspidate segments 

 f in. long. Stamens falling short of the tip of the segments. 



Var. W. IRIDIFOLIA Ker. Gladiolus iridi/olius Jacq. Ic. t. 234. — 

 Leaves broader. Flowers closer and more numerous, white or pinb. 



Var. W. RosEO-ALBA Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 637. TK. Ludai<jii Eckl. 

 Gladiolus roxeo-albus Jacq. Hort. Schoen. i. 7, t. 13. — Perianth-tube 

 more slender than in the type, and segments narrower. 



Var. W. DUBiA Eckl. Top. Verz. 36. — Leaves linear. Spathe- 

 valves 1^-2 in. long. Perianth-tube 2 in. long, ^ in. diam. at the 

 throat ; segments oblong- spathulate, narrower than in the type. 



Var. PLATYPETALA Baker. — Flowers bright rose-red, with shorter 

 broader rather imbricated segments. 



Hab. Cape Colony, Kaffraria, Natal, Transvaal. 



4. W. cocciNEA Herb. W. pdlucida Eckl. W. 'Meriana var., 

 Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 1194. — Corm globose, 1^ in. diam. ; tunics of 

 reticulated fibres, bristly at the top. Basal leaves linear, rigid, 

 ^-1 ft. long. Stem simple, a foot long. Flowers 4-6 in a very lax 

 spike ; spathe-valves oblong-lauccolatc, brown, rigid, tlie lower 



