77 



the scape is reflected, and finally by its increased weight is 

 brought to the ground. The oucer segments of the perianth 

 are green on the outside and yellow within; the inner alter- 

 nating ones are yellow, narrower, and shorter than the others. 

 The stamens are*^six in number— three long and three short — 

 the anthers shortly auricled at the base. The three long 

 stamens are a little shorter than the inner perianth segments, 

 but as long as the style. The stigmatic lobes are three, and 

 papillose; they are closely pressed together by the anthers of 

 the three long stamens, some force being required to overcome 

 the adhesion between the papillose styles and the margins of the 

 open slit of the dehiscing anther cells. The ripe capsule is 

 oblong, subangular, slightly constricted under the perianth, 

 and rugged by pressure of the closely-packed seeds within ; it 

 is about four lines long and two in diameter, and dehisces cir- 

 cumcissally at a little belo^ the base of the persistent perianth. 

 The seeds, which are in two rows in each cell, are black, 

 globular, pitted, and are furnished with a prominent hooked 

 hilum. 



Except in one main particular these characters are those as- 

 signed by Bentham, "Flora Australiensis," vi., p. 450, to 

 Hypoxis 'pusilla, the capsule of which is stated to be globular, 

 and not ovoid or oblong. I have examined a very large number 

 of capsules of the plant species above described, and in only 

 one instance have I noted a globose capsule. 



Supplementary E-emarks : — Since first observing the winter- 

 lowering individuals of H. imsilla, I have carefully watched 

 for their further development, and have concluded that they are 

 succeeded by others approximating in size to K. fjlabella, from 

 which they are distinguishable by sufiiciently well-marked 

 though trivial characters. 



Erom July 8 to July 31. — The winter flowers sparingly in 

 number ; capsules all burst ; no increase in the size of the 

 leaves. 



August 12. — Still a few flowering examples of H. pitsilla, 

 forma hyemalis ; leaves three to four in number, two and a half 

 inches long, scapes one quarter to half an inch in length. 

 First appearance of expanded flowers, accompanying leaves, 

 four to six in number, and five to seven inches long ; scapes 

 three to three and a half inches in length ; the flowers cor- 

 respondingly large. These latter were either from the corn:is 

 which had previously borne winter flowers, or from those 

 which had already produced leaves at an earl}^ period of the 

 year. 



August 24. — a. 2)usilla, forma ccstlvalis, in full bloom ; in 

 stature varying from the dwarf winter-flowering state to nearly 



