281 ASPHODELE^:. [Narcissus. 



The true N. Pseudo-narcissus described above, I have not seen in 

 a wild state in Ireland. N. major of Curtis Bot. Mag., so common 

 every where in lawns, and often mistaken for it, being the plant alluded 

 to as N. Pseudo-narcissus in my Cat. of Irish plants. Mr. Drum- 

 mond, however, enumerates it among- the naturalized species found near 

 Cork. Fl. March, April. TJL. The N. Pseudo-narcissus of E. Bot. 

 which grows in a wild situation within ten miles of Manchester, of 

 which the late Mr. Hobson sent me plants, is never more than half the 

 size of N. major, and produces flowers of a pale colour, whereas the 

 other has the flowers of an uniform golden yellow in the single as 

 well as the double variety, as stated by Sir J. E. Smith, in E. Botany. 



2. N. poeticus, Linn. Poetic Narcissus. Spatha mostly 

 single-flowered ; nectary very short, concave, membranous and 

 crenate at the margin ; leaves with an obtuse keel. Br. Fl. 1. 

 p. 152. E. Fl. v. \\.p. 131. E. Bot. t. 276. N. majalis, Curt. 

 Mag. 1. 193, at the end. 



Naturalized about Cork ; Mr. J. Drummond. FL May. %. 

 This is the well-known Poet's-narcissus of the gardens, of which 

 there is a fine double variety, and both are general favourites on account 

 of their fragrance and beauty. I have another plant, which I received 

 from the late Mr. George Anderson as the true N. poeticus of E. Bo- 

 tany, that flowers in April (fully three weeks before the other), but in 

 other respects there is scarcely any difference. This is not to be con- 

 founded with the more slender and less elegant N. angustifolius of 

 Curtis, which flowers about the same time. 



3. N. biflorus, Curtis. Pale Narcissus. Spatha 2-flowered ; 

 nectary very short, concave, membranous, and crenate at 

 the margins ; leaves acutely keeled. Br. Fl. 1. p. 152. E.Fl. 

 v. ii. p. 132. E. Bot. t. 276. 



Fields near Dublin, abundant. Fl. April, May. 1. Similar to 

 the last in the general form of thejlowerg, but rather smaller, and not 

 of so pure a white, and without the coloured border to the nectary, 

 with a less agreeable scent. Very rarely one-flowered, as is the other 

 two-flowered. 



ORD. 84. ASPHODELE^E. Br. Asphodel Family. 



Perianth 6-partite or 6-cleft, petaloid, regular. Stamens six, 

 inserted upon the perianth, or hypogynous ; the three that are 

 opposite the outer leaflets sometimes dissimilar or wanting. 

 Ovary free, 3-celled, with the cells many, rarely 2-seeded : 

 style one; stigma undivided or shortly 3-lobed. Pericarp, in 

 most, a 3-celled, 3-valved capsule, with the valves bearing the 

 dissepiments : sometimes an undivided or rarely a tripartite 

 berry. Seeds with a black crustaceous fragile testa. Albumen 

 fleshy, including the embryo. 



A bitter viscid juice prevails in many plants of this family. 



