CLASS VI. ORDER I.J GAGEA. 481 



England are naturalized plants, is more common than the other two 

 species, and in some meadows growing in great profusion. This, as 

 well as the other species, is commonly cultivated in gardens, and flowers 

 freely, increasing by its bulbs abundantly. 



3. O. nu'tans, Linn. (Fig. 546.) Drooping Star of Bethlehem. 

 Flowers racemose, becoming pendulous on one side ; filaments dilated, 

 cloven, alternately smaller and shorter; leaves linear, smooth. 



English Botany, t. 1997 English Flora, vol. ii. p. 144. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol i. p. 161. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 268. 



Bulb ovate, enveloped in dark brown loose coats. Leaves few, 

 radical, linear, smooth, shining, flaccid, green, channeled, round at 

 the back, and with an acute point. Scape erect, stout, round, smooth, 

 and somewhat glaucous, from twelve to sixteen inches high, termi- 

 nating in an erect raceme, of from six to ten flowers, alternate and 

 spreading, becoming pendulous and turned to one side. Peduncles 

 round, smooth, short, slender. Bracteas large, ovate lanceolate, pale 

 brown, thin, and membranous, as long again as the peduncles. Flowers 

 large, clear white \\uhin ibe segment, externally green, with a nar- 

 rowish white margin, numerously striated with slender stria. Perianth 

 spreading, of six lanceolate acute segments, nearly an inch long. 

 Stamens \vd\t as long as the perianth, with broad thin pale membranous 

 filaments, three-cleft at the extremity, the central tooth bearing the 

 anther, and the alternate filaments shorter and smaller than the others. 

 Anthers oblong, narrow, yellow. Style erect, as long as the stamens, 

 angular, iurrowed, slender. Stigma obtuse, small, triangular. Cap- 

 sule elliptical, obtusely three angled, with three deep furrows, three 

 celled, each cell many seeded. Seeds deep brown, rugged. 



Habitat. Meadows, fields, and orchards ; in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, 

 Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire, but not common. 



Perennial ; flowering in April and May. 



GENUS XIII. GA'GEA. SAJLISB. Gagea. 

 Nat. Ord. ASPHO'DELE^E. R. BROWN. 



GEN. CHAR. Perianth of six persistent pieces. Filaments not dilated 

 at the base. Stigma gaping. Fruit a three angled three celled 

 capsule. Seeds round. Named in honour of the late Sir Thos. 

 Gage, Bart., an excellent British botanist 



1. G. lu'tea, Ker. (Fig. 547.) Yellow Gagea. Leaves radical, one or 

 two, linear lanceolate, the point abruptly acuminated, flat, with an 

 acute keel, longer than the angular scape ; umbel simple, with leafy 

 bractea, longer than the peduncles ; segments of the perianth lanceo- 

 late, obtuse. . 



