GYNANDIRIS 189 



" signal patch" of white. The bulb is edible. It is 

 small and globose, the outer coats entirely fibrous. The 

 stem is from 2 in. to a foot or more in length with one 

 to three heads, the lateral sessile. The leaves are 

 usually two, borne on the stem, linear, arched, \ to I ft. 

 long and strongly veined ; spathe two to three flowered, 

 2 to 2 1 in. long 5 the outer valves subscariose at flowering 

 time ; pedicels very short. The flowers may be very 

 small or with limb I to l| in. long ; the tube is slender, 

 usually an inch long ; falls with oblong blade, | in. 

 broad, as long as the haft, "with a faint yellow spot 

 bordered with white in the centre " ; standards rather 

 shorter, oblanceolate, \ to \ in. broad ; style-branches 

 under an inch long, crests large, lanceolate-deltoid. The 

 flowers are often fragrant, but unfortunately last less 

 than a day and require sunshine to make any display. 



The variety maricoides (1. maricoides, Regel, Descr., 

 iv. 36) is from the high mountains of Bokhara, 10,000 

 to 12,000 ft., and is one of the most distinct. The 

 filaments are said to be free from the style and from one 

 another. The variety monophylla (Gynandiris mono- 

 phylla, Klatt) is dwarf with a single leaf and single 

 head of flowers. The variety sicula (Moraea sicula y 

 Tod.) has exceedingly small flowers and remarkable 

 leaves 3 to 4 ft. long. It was grown for several years 

 in the Cambridge Botanic Garden. 



For cultivation try the hottest, sunniest spot at the 

 foot of a south wall. In the Cambridge Botanic Garden 

 it has succeeded without overhead protection. 



It is recorded that this species is largely used for 

 fodder in Baltistan, Kashmir. 



