CYCLOBOTIIEA ALBA. 



113 



CYCLOBOTHUA ALBA. 



White-flowered Cychbothra. 

 Linnean Class— Hexandria. Order— Monogynia. Natural Order— LiiiACRS. 



This curious and interesting bulb is one of a considerable number of Lilyworts, 

 whose very existence appears almost ignored by the great proportion of 

 amateur Florists ; and as the intimate connection between supply and demand holds 

 equally good in Horticulture as in other branches of trade, they are likely, in 

 consequence, to be speedily lost, if they have not, indeed, already disappeared. 



The genus Cychbothra includes seven or eight species, all of which have at 

 some time or other been in cultivation in this country ; the present member of the 

 genus appears, however, to be the only one now attainable, and that only through a 

 single source, Mr. Groom of Clapham Rise* They are closely allied to the Colo, 

 chortus, of which one species, venustus, was figured in an early number of this work, 

 and they are equally related to the more common Fritillaries of our garden. The 

 differences between the Cychbothra alba and the Calochorti seem to be extremely 

 small, for in the present species there is some departure from the type of the genus 

 as founded by Sweet, on the Cychbothra barbata. 



The Fritillaries, as everybody knows, are characterized by a six -parted perianth, 

 each division of which is furnished at its base with a hollow cavity or pit, of a 

 circular form, and smooth in its interior. 



The genus Cychbothra, as defined by Sweet, differs only, as far as the flower is 

 concerned, in the situation of the nectariferous pit, which is placed at a greater 

 distance from the base, and in the interior of the segment as well as the nectary 

 being densely bearded. 



In the C. alba the nectary is of a different form, and is found only on the three 

 inner divisions of the flower, the sepals being of the narrow form and purplish- 

 green tint seen in Cahchorttts. The two genera may be said to pass into each 

 other through this plant, for although the Calochorti are stated to be destitute of a 

 nectary, there arc in venustus and luteus distinct traces of this organ, especially in 

 luteus, and the petals are bearded at the spot where they occur. 



The Cychbothra alba is a bulbous plant growing about a foot high, with one 

 radical leaf of considerable length (much longer than is represented in our figure), 

 and from tbrcc to five shorter ones upon the stem, from each of which proceeds 

 a lateral shoot bearing two flowers (sometimes, however, there is but one), with 

 a pair of leaf-like bracts at the base of the peduncles. It is only strong bulbs 



*Mr. Charlwood of f'ovent Garden, occasionally offers for sale the dry bulbs in autumn. 

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