ANT 



ANT 



the flower-stem rises to the height of eighteen 

 inches, and the flowers arc ringeiit. 



The third lias a eoiniiressed l)iilboLis root, co- 

 vered with a brviwn skin, and putting forth 

 fibres with httle bulbs at the end ; from this arise 

 several narrow sword-shaped leaves, about nine 

 inches long, and a quarter of an inch broad in 

 the mitldie, tcraiinaiing in acute poinis; these 

 have one longitudinal midrib which is promi- 

 nent, and two lon<;itudmal veins running parallel 

 on each side : they are of a sea-sirccn colour, and 

 appear in autunm, growing in length all the 

 winter ; in the spring the stalk arises from be- 

 tween the leaves, is round, stroiiu; and jointed ; 

 at each joint is situated a single leaf, which al- 

 most embraces the stalk for near three inches 

 from the base, being ihen separated by the cur- 

 yature of the stalk, standing erect : the stalks 

 rise near a foot and a half in height, and are 

 generally curved two opposite ways ; the upper 

 part being terminated by a loose spike of flow- 

 ers, coming out of large spathcs, composed of 

 two oblong concave leaves, terminating in acute 

 points : these are at then' first appearance imbri- 

 cated, but as the stalk increases in length they 

 are separated ; from between these two leaves 

 come out the flowers, each having a slender 

 saffron-coloured tube near half an inch long, 

 which is then enlarged where the petal is di- 

 vided, and the up])cr segment is extended two 

 inches in length, being arched over the stamens 

 and style : this is narrow as far as to the extent 

 of the w ines, but above them is enlarged and 

 spread open half an inch in length, and is con- 

 cave, covering the anthers and stigmas, which 

 are extended to that length ; the two wings are 

 also narrow at their base, but are enlargecl up- 

 ward in the same manner, ending in concave 

 obtuse points, which are compressed tooether, 

 and cover the stamens and style : the flower is 

 of a beautiful scarlet colour, and appears about 

 the latter end of April or beginning of May. 



In the fourth species the corolla is tubulous 

 and of a scarlet colour ; upper lip very large, 

 lanceolate; lower five-parted, the lobes lanceo- 

 late, short, three altcrnatclv very short ; the 

 leaves are long and of a deep green : the flower- 

 stem is round and a foot in height : it flowers in 

 J\Iay and June. 



In the fifth the root is bulbous, compressed, 

 and shaped like a kidney, covered with a fibrous 

 brow n skin : the leaves sword-shaped, about a 

 foot long, and an inch broad, ending in points : 

 the two sides have sharp edges, but the n)iddle 

 is thicker, and has a prominent mid-rib ; they 

 are of a dark green colour, and rise immediately 

 from the root ; the stalk comes out from the 

 root between the leaves, and rises a foot and a 



half hinh : the flowers are produced from the 

 side, siandiug aliernatelv at about an inch and a 

 half distance from each other ; they have each a 

 spathe composed of two leaves which are joined 

 at their base, where they are broad, but gra- 

 dually lessen to their points : before the flowers 

 appear, they are of the same green colour with 

 the stalk, and are divided liut a small part of 

 their length, inclosnig the flower, but are after- 

 wards split almo.-t to the bottom, and wither 

 before the flowers decay, becoming dry round 

 the seed-vessel : the tube of the flower is an 

 inch and a half long, narrow at the base, and a 

 little curved, the upper half swelling much 

 larger: the rim is divided into six obtuse seg- 

 n)ents which spread open, and are nearly equal : 

 the llower is of a copper red colour on the out- 

 side, but of a deeper red within ; it has three 

 stamens a little longer than the petal; they are 

 incurved, and ternnnated by oblong anthers of 

 a dark brown colour, which arc fastened in the 

 middle to the apex of the stamens, lying pro- 

 strate ; the flowers appear in April or May, and 

 the seeds ripen m July. 



The sixlli species has the root bulbous; the 

 culm a loot and half high, polished and colum- 

 nar : the leaves alternate, three or four, sheath - 

 ing, sword-shajied, streaked, pubescent, beyond 

 the sheaths short, rarely more than six inches 

 long : the flower-stalk rises betvccn the leaves, 

 about nine inches in height : the flowers three, 

 alternate, in the same row, sessile: the gkunes 

 bivalve and lanceolate: the corolla salver-shaped,: 

 the tube bent, purplish, longer than the border, 

 which is six- parted and equal : the divisions 

 ovate, acutish and yellow : the stamens rising, 

 the length of the corolla : the anthers linear and 

 incumljent : the style iiliform: the stigmas three, 

 filiform : the flowers are large and pale red. 



Culture. — These plants arc capable of being 

 raised with success, cither by means of the di- 

 vided roots and ofl"-sets, or the seeds. In the 

 latter method the seeds should be sown soon 

 after they are ripe, as when ihey are kept out of 

 the ground till the following spring tluy otien 



miscarr\-, or reniani long m 



the 



d beh 



ore 



they vegetate. If they be sown in pots of light 

 vegetable earth, and plunged into an old tnn-bed 

 which has lost its heat, and shaded in tlic mid- 

 dle of the day in hot weather, tliey mostly come 

 up the follow insr winter. Thev must of course 

 be kcjit covered with glasses to screen ihem Irom 

 cold, otherwise the younsr plants wdl be de- 

 stroyed, 'i hese should remaui in the pots two 

 years, if the plants be not too close, by which 

 time thev will have attained sufticient strength 

 to be planted out into separate small pots filled 

 with light vegetable earth. 



