190 HANDHOOK OF IRIDK.T". 



in. long. Stamens half as long as the segments. Capsule acutely 

 3-lobed, ^ in. diam. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; south-western i^rovinces. M. irUlifolia Don. differs 

 from the type by its shorter firmer leaves, and M. purvijiora Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 

 1444 by its smaller flowers. 



53. Tritoma Ker. 



Perianth with a short or longer subcylindrical tube dilated towards 

 the top ; segments obovate or oblong, subequal or ratlrer unequal. 

 Stamens unilateral, arcuate, parallel, inserted in the perianth-tube ; 

 filaments filiform ; anthers usually versatile. (Jvarij 3-celled ; 

 ovules superposed ; style filiform ; branches simple, short, spread- 

 ing. Ccipsnie small, oblong, membranous, loculicidally S-vulved. 

 Seeds small, globose or angled by pressure. — linotatock a corm with 

 fibrous or reticulated tunics. Leaves usually linear. Sjnkes simple 

 or panicled ; spathe-valves oblong, brown, emarginate, like those of 

 Ixia. 



Subgenus Tritonixia (Klatt). Flowers large ; segments obovate, 

 much imbricated, subequal . , . . Sp. 1-4. 



Subgenus Dichone (Salisb.). Flowers small, segments equal, 

 oblong ........ Sp. 5-7. 



Subgenus Tritoxia proper. Segments rather unequal, the three 

 lower without any callus at the throat. 



Perianth-tube long ..... Sp. 8-12. 

 Perianth-tube short ..... Sp. 13-26. 



Subgenus Montbretia (DC). Segments rather unequal, the 

 three low'er with a callus at the throat . . Sp. 27-29. 



Subgenus Stenubasis, Segments unequal, all distinct 



Sp. 30-31. 



Subgenus I. Tritonixia. 



1. T. crocata Ker in Konig & Sims, Ann. 1. 227. Lvia crocata 

 Linn. ; Bot. Mag. t. 184. Gladiolus crncatas Wendl. Tritonixia 

 crocata Klatt. Ixia iridifolia Delar. (Miller, Ic. t. 239, fig. 2). — 

 Corm globose, ^-1 in. diam. ; tunics of reticulated fibres. Basal 

 leaves 4-6, linear, spreading, moderately firm, 4-8 in. long, \—^ in. 

 broad. Stem slender, simple or branched low down, 1-1-J- ft. long. 

 Flowers 4-10, in lax secund spikes ; spathe-valves oblong, ^-|- in. 

 long, brown and toothed at the tip. Perianth-tube rather longer 

 than the spatlie, funnel-shaped at the apex ; segments obovate, 

 much imbricated, bright fulvous yellow, f-1 in. long. Stamens 

 -J- the length of the limb ; anthers purple. 



Var. T. mixiata Ker ; Bot. Mag. t. 609. Ixia miniata Jacq. 

 Hort. Schoen. t. 24. 1. crocata Ked. Lil. t. 335. Flowers bright 

 red. 



Hab. Cape Colony ; southern provinces. T. purpurea, sauguinea, coccinea 

 and aurantiaca Ecklon are colour varieties. 



2. T. DEusTA Ker in Konig & Sims, Ann. i. 227 ; Bot. Mag. t. 



