BRODI^A GRANDIFLORA. 



LARGE-FLOWERED CALIFORNLV HYACINTH. 



NATURAL ORDER, LTLIACE.l-:. 



Hrodi/EA GRANDIFLORA, Smith. — Bulb depressed globose, fibrous coated; pedicels stout, 

 divaricate, then at length erect ; flowers four to eight, rarely but one; the inner segments 

 nearly twice broader than the outer, all spreading above. Sterile stamens usually longer 

 than the fertile, emarginatc, yellowish. (Prof. Wood in Proceedings of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for i86S. See also Watson's Botany of Clarence King's 

 Expedition. 



HERE are several species of the genus Brodicca, which 

 belong to the Pacific coast, and have been under cultiva- 

 tion for some years. They are generally known as " California 

 Hyacinths," and although they really have not much in common 

 with the true Hyacinth, they and their neiglibors of the genus 

 Leiicoryne come perhaps as near to these celebrated flowers as any 

 of the plants indigenous to the United States. One of the most 

 striking marks of distinction in these two genera of plants is to 

 be found in the inflorescence; for while that of the Hyacinths is 

 racemose or spicate, the flowers of the Brodura are collected in 

 an umbel. This difference, however, would hardly be regarded 

 as of generic value by a systematic botanist; but a close analysis 

 will reveal differences which are much more essential. In the 

 Hyacinth, for instance, the perianth is campanulate, wliilc m tlie 

 Brodicca it is mostly tubular, or funnel-shaped. The seed-vessel 

 also has peculiar characteristics in each ; but one of the most 

 strikino; differences is observable in the stamens, which are six 

 in the Hyacinth and only three in Brodiu-a. Six stamens, in- 

 deed, is the normal condition in the Liliacccc, but in Brodiira 



