56 



St 



Descr. ix. p. 36). J. monophylla (Boissier and Heldreich, Heb. 

 Norm. 51). I. Samaritana (Heldreich). Morsea Sisyrinchium (Ker, 

 Bot. Mag. t. 1407). M. Tenoreana (Sweet, Brit. Flow. Gard. t. 110). 

 M. sicula (Todaro, Hort. Bot. Panorm. t. 34). J. juncifolia, and 

 others. The " Spanish nut " and the " Barbary nut " of Parkinson. 



Figures. Sibthorp and Smith, Flor. Grxca, t. 42 ; Redoute', Lil. 

 t. 29 and 458 ; Bot. Mag. t. 6096, and as above ; Tenore and Sweet, 

 as above. 



Characters. Bulb globose, with shaggy coats. Leaves two, linear, 

 pointed, arched. Stem from a few inches to a foot or more in length, 

 bearing a terminal, and one, two, or more lateral sessile buds, each 

 containing one, two, three, or more flowers. Spathe-valves long, 

 lanceolate, more or less scariose. Upper limit of ovary not sharply 

 defined by any constriction or other outward mark from the perianth 

 tube above. Flower small, lasting when open for a few hours only. 

 Colour varying from light blue to a reddish purple, with variable spots 

 and veins on the blade of the fall, which 

 bears a broad patch (signal) of white, with 

 a median yellow streak, often spotted. 

 Filaments of anthers adherent to the 

 styles and to each other to a variable ex- 

 tent in their lower part. Capsule covered 

 by scarious spathe-valves, rounded-trigo- 

 nal, long, and narrow, with numerous small 

 oval seeds. Flowers often very fragrant. 

 Habitat. Spain, Portugal, Morocco, 

 and thence eastward along both shores of 

 the Mediterranean, Algiers, Italy, Corsica, 

 Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Tunis, Egypt, 

 Greece and Grecian Islands, Palestine, 

 Fm. 32. IBIS SISYBINCHIUM.* Syria to Asia Minor, Persia, Beloochi- 



stan, Afghanistan, Bokhara, Punjaub. 

 Time. Flowers in this country in June. 



Varieties. An albino white variety is sometimes found. The 

 variety monophylla (I. monophylla of Boissier) from Greece nd Egypt 

 has one leaf only, a stem 2 to 4 inches long, often with a terminal 

 bud only, and small dull-coloured flowers. The variety maricoides 

 (I. maricoides of Regel) from Bokhara has much-spotted flowers, with 

 the anthers for the most part free. 



2. I. RETICULATA. Marschal v. Bieberstein, Fl. Taur. 

 Cauc. i. p. 34. (From the netted, reticulate coats of the bulb.) 



Fig. M. v. Bieb. Cent. t. 11 ; Regel, Gartenflora, t. 677 ; Bot. 

 Mag. 5577 (not quite typical) ; Garden, vol. xx. (1881), p. 112. 



Char act. Bulb ovoid, with netted coats. Leaf four-sided, 



* In this and succeeding figures are given outlines of /. fall, s. standard, 

 st. style, each spread out flat, and of natural size. 



