358 cxxxvi. iRiDEiE (baker). [Acidanthera. 



11. ACIDANTHERA, Hochst. ; Benth. et Hook, f. Gen. PL iii. 706. 



Perianth-tube usually long, cylindrical, slightly dilated upwards; 

 segments subequal, spreading, oblong or oblanceolate-oblong. Stamens 

 unilateral, contiguous, inserted at or a little below the throat of the 

 perianth-tube ; filaments filiform ; anthers linear, with the connective 

 sometimes produced a little beyond the cells. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules 

 many, superposed ; style long, filiform ; branches short, flattened in 

 the upper half. Capsule oblong, membranous, loculicidally 3-valved. 

 Seeds globose or discoid. — Rootstock a tunicated corm. Leaves linear, 

 forming a distichous rosette. Flowers few, laxly spicate. Spathe- 

 valves long, green, lanceolate. 



JSpecies 18, the others all South African, 



Limb spotted with purple at the throat. 



Produced leaves 3-4 1. A. bicolor. 



Produced leaves many . . . . . . 2,. A. cequinoctialis . 



Limb concolorous at the throat. 



Perianth-tube 2 in. long ^. A. gracilis. 



Perianth-tube 2^-3 in. long. 



Perianth-segments oblanceolate, \ in. long . .4.-4. unicolor. 



Perianth-segments oblong, 1 in. long . . . 5. A. tiJcamhanensis. 



Perianth-tube 3-4 in. long. 



Perianth-segments oblong . . . . . 6. ^. laxijlora. 



Perianth-segments ovate . . . . . 1. A. Candida. 



Perianth-tube 4-5 in. long . . . . .8.-4. Ghinnisi. 



J. A. bicolor, Hochst. in Flora, 1844, 25. Corm globose, 1 in. 

 diam. ; tunics brown, formed of matted fibres, reticulated upwards. 

 Produced leaves 3-4 ; two basal, erect, linear, moderately firm, glabrous, 

 ^-1 ft. long, \-\ in. broad. Stem simple, 1-lJ ft. long, not angled, 

 bearing 1-2 reduced leaves. Spike simple, very lax, 2-4-flowered ; 

 outer spathe-valve lacceolate, green, herbaceous, 2-3 in. long. Perianth- 

 tube slender, 4-5 in. long ; segments oblong, acute, 1 J in. long, the three 

 lower with a large oblong dark purple spot at the base. Stamens 

 nearly as long as the perianth-limb ; anthers linear, J in. long. — Bouche 

 <fe Wittm. in Berlin. Monatsschr. xix. 12, t. 1 ; Baker, Handb. Irid. 188 ; 

 Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 175. Ixia quartiniana, A. Rich. Tent. 

 Fl. Abyss, ii. 310, ^'phcerosjyoroj gigantea, Klatt in Linnsea, xxxiv. 699. 



Wile Iiand, Eritrea : Keren, 6500-7500 ft., Steudner, 429. Abyssinia : Shire, 

 Qnari iii -Dillon Sf Petit, 112 ! Sana ; plain of Mount Walcha, Schimper, 1634 ! and 

 without precise locality, Schimper, 434 ! Somaliland : Daimoli Peak, 4000 ft., 

 Aylmer ! 



nsozaxnl). Slst. British Central Africa : Shire Highlands, Buchanan, 5 ! 



2. A. sequinoctialis. Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xvi. 160. Corm 

 globose, H in. diam; tunics of reticulated matted fibres. Stem erect, 

 3-4 ft. long. Leaves many, superposed, ensiform, strongly veined, 

 glabrous, 1-1 1 ft. long. Flowers 3-6 in a very lax simple distichous 

 spike; outer spathe-vplve lanceolate, foliaceous, 3-4 in. long in the 



