ALB 



ALB 



Ttic characters of which arc : that it has no 

 cahx : the corolhi has six oblonsr-oval permanent 

 petals, the three outer spreading, and tlie three 

 inner converging : the stamina have filaments 

 shorter than the corolla ; three opposite ta the 

 inner petals, linear-subulate, complicate a little 

 above the base, then fiat, three opposite to the 

 outer petals, thicker; antherje on the former 

 oblong, fixed to the inflex tip of the filament, 

 belo'.v the middle upright ; on the latter, simi- 

 lar, but efiete, or none : the pistillum has an 

 oblong trianoular germ : style three-sided : stig- 

 ma a triangular, three-celled, three-valved cap- 

 sule: the seeds numerous, flat, Iving over each 

 other, and widening outwards. 



The species are numerous ; but those mostly 

 for the purposes of ornament are: X.A.alt'is- 

 simu. Tall Albuca ; 2. j4. major. Great Albuca ; 

 3. A. minor. Small Albvica ; 4. A. aiarcfafa, 

 Channel-leaved Albuca ; 5. yl. spiralis. Spiral- 

 leaved Albuca. 



In the first species the leaves are so deeply 

 channelled as to be almost rolled into a cvlinder; 

 two feet long, and almost three inches broad at 

 the base. The scape a little shorter than the 

 leaves, the thickness of a finger. The raceme 

 two feet long or more. The peduncles bent 

 downwards in the season of flowering, after- 

 wards spreading and becoming finally erect ; 

 they are three inches in length. The bracteae 

 green, except at the edge, where they are of a 

 elear white, an inch long. The flowers are of a 

 white colour; and the petals more than an inch 

 in length ; the outer ones sharp and thickened 

 at the tip, but the inner blunt, bent in, and hav- 

 ing a twin gland, composed of two globes, at 

 the end. The fertile filaments are waved on the 

 cdce, with the anthu'ne curved inwards beneath 

 the glands of the petals : the barren filaments 

 are trianaular, furrowed on the outside, a little 

 longer than the others, and tave no antheras. 

 The germ is subpedieelled. The style obvcrsely 

 pNramidal, the length of the germ, covered with 

 glandulous scales : the angles terminate in subu- 

 late horns, covered also with scales ; tlie centre 

 being elongated into a pyramidal stigma. It 

 flowers in April and May. 



In the second the scape is a foot high, uprieht, 

 roundish, verj' minutely streaked, smooth, and 

 ash-colourcd, with a glaucous bloom on it. 

 The leaves are sharp, smooth, and streaked, a 

 foot long. The hractes; are sheath -form, lance- 

 olate, concave, with a long linear-subulate tip, 

 red, nervud, smooth, straight, and lolitary, at 

 the b;\sc of the peduncles. The raceme termi- 

 iiating, long, of a crimson colour, and smooth; 

 the flowers alternate, pediuicled, slightly nod=- 

 ding ; there being fewer at battom. The pe^ 

 (iuneles round, smooth, one-flowered, longer 



than the bracteae, and spreading. The petals 

 linear, longitudinally nerved, marcescent ; the 

 three outer broader, a little concave, red, blunt 

 at the end, bent in with a small marginal scale ; 

 the three inner narrower, upright, pale red, with 

 a broad, thm, membranaceous, whitish rim on 

 each side, and an ovate, membranaceous, inflex 

 scale at the tip. The filaments erect, the length 

 of the corolla, linear, membranaceous, w hitish, 

 joined at the base, inserted into the receptacle; 

 they are alteniately free, and fastened below by » 

 broader base to the inner petals.. Antheras from 

 incumbent upright ; on the loose filaments bar- 

 ren ; on the three others whitish w ith yellow 

 pollen, Imear, blunt at each end, emarginate, a 

 little curved inwards, convex at the back, plano- 

 concave in front, twin-furrowed. The geu'm 

 fleshy, pvramidal-cylindric, blunt, crimson, 

 smooth, with three calluses at the tip, on a 

 short peduncle, ending in several small blunt 

 teeth pressed close to it. The style veiy thick, 

 somewhat flatted, with two of the angles nearer 

 to each other, a little attenuated at "the base^ 

 pubescent, red, shorter than the germ. The 

 stigma blunt, of a yellowish red colour, pubes- 

 cent at the edge. Capsule oval, smooth, trans- 

 versely nerved, compressed, with two rims alon^ 

 the back. The seeds are orbieulate. It flower* 

 iu May. 



In the third the leaves are a i<iot long and 

 K'.ore, half an inch broad at the base. The 

 scape half a foot high, scarcely a line in diame- 

 ter. The raceme six inches in length, or even 

 longer. The peduncles an inch and a half lonar. 

 The bractea" are green, with clear white ednes, 

 half an inch lono-, quickly withering. The flow- 

 ers yellow. The petals less than an inch it\ 

 length ; the outer ones thickened at the tip ; the 

 inner having a white, inflex, kidney-shaped 

 gland. Barren lilaments, linear, w ith a filiform 

 inflex tip, and no antherae. The style obversely 

 pyramidal, the le-ngth of the germ, covered with 

 giandidous scales. The stigma pyramidal, pro- 

 minent between the inner converging petals. It 

 flow ers in May and June. 



The fourth species lias the leaves linear-subu- 

 late, deeply channelled, two feet lono; and up- 

 wards, scarcely half an inch wide at the base. 

 The scape a little shorter than the leaves, and 

 not so thick as a goose quill. The raceme close, 

 half a foot in length. The peduncles spreading, 

 a little more than an inch in length. The bractea; 

 are almost the lenet'i of the peduncle. The 

 flowers yellow. Outer [X'tals ohlono-, thickened 

 at the tip, above an inch in length ; the inner 

 ones oval, a little shorter than the outer ones. 

 Barren filaments, somewliat shorter than the fer- 

 tile ones, convex without, channelled within ; 

 the antherse sagittate and efiete. 'I'he style prism- 



