Notes and Gleajmigs. 45 



flowers are pure white, and smaller than the other ; the leaves thereof are of a 

 pale fresh greene, and somewhat narrower." This latter is the commoner varia- 

 tion of the two. 



Scilla bifolia, van Candida. — We propose this name for a pure white-flow- 

 ered variety, the flowers of which are as large as tliose of S. bifolia pmcox, or 

 of the var. rosea, of which indeed it might be considered as the white-flowered 

 representative, but that it flowers later. It is, perhaps, tlie //. stcllatus prcecox 

 Jlore albo of Parkinson. 



2. Scilla sibirica, Andr. (Bot. Rep., t. 365 (1804); Van Houtte, Fl. des 

 Serres, xvi. tab. 1677. 6". amccna, Redoute Lil., tab. 130;. — Bulb roundish, the 

 size of a chestnut, with a dark rind ; leaves four or more, erect or somewhat 

 spreading, flat, strap-shaped, slightly thickened at the point ; scapes one or two, 

 flattened, striated, scarcely so long as the leaves ; flowers 2-4, or even 6, rarely 

 solitary, on short stalks, horizontal or nodding, bell-shaped, ultimately spreading 

 widely, of a pale clear blue color, rather more intense along the central nerves 

 of each segment. This beautiful species is sometimes seen in gardens and cata- 

 logues under the names oi prcecox and a/ncena. It flowers a little later than 

 bifolia, but before 6". afncsnaj and is one of the most lovely of all spring-flow- 

 ers, admirably adapted for spring-beds. The headquarters of the species would 

 appear to be in Persia, Asia Minor, &c. Varieties with larger flowers than ordi- 

 nary, and others with solitary blossoms, are known. 



Scilla sibirica, var. ainoetiula {S. ama'nula, Bot. Mag., t. 2408). — To this 

 form we refer some plants which are smaller than S. sibirica, with more ovate 

 bulbs, and paler flowers. 



3. Scilla amcena, Linn. (Redoute Lil., t. 298 ; Bot. Mag., t. 341.) — Bulb 

 ovoid or roundish ; leaves numerous, spreading, strap-shaped, acute, 10-12 

 inches long, half an inch wide ; scape erect, shorter than the leaves, com- 

 pressed, two-edged, striated, purplish above ; flowers 3-6, dark indigo-blue, in 

 a loose two-sided cluster, horizontal when expanded ; pedicels erect, curved at 

 the apex, bluish, half to three-quarters of an inch long, springing from the 

 axil of a very minute whitish bract ; perianth six-parted, nearly an inch across 

 when expanded ; segments spreading horizontally or reflexed, lanceolate acute 

 Slightly concave at the apex ; filaments dilated and whitish at the base, blue 

 above ; anthers blue ; ovary pale yellow, oblong ; style blue. A native of 

 Central Europe, the Tyrol, &c., and an old inhabitant of our gardens. Its flow- 

 ers are not so nodding as those of the preceding ; they are also flatter, not so 

 bell-shaped, and of a darker blue : while the ovary, as Parkinson's sharp eyes 

 detected, is of a yellowish-green color, thus giving to the flowers the appearance 

 of a yellow centre or "eye." It flowers in the south of England in April, fol- 

 lowing close upon sibirica. 



The species above mentioned have all this character in common, that the 

 bracts at the base of the pedicels are very minute ; whereas, in S. verna, S. cam- 

 paniilata, S. italica, and the later-flowering kinds, the bracts are often as long 

 as the pedicels themselves. 



