AMARYLLIDACE^E. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 328. 



CRINUM. 



Perianth tubular, long, with a spreading or reflexed equal 

 limb. Stamens 6, spreading or declinate, inserted into the ori- 

 fice of the tube. Ovules hardly separable from their fleshy pla- 

 centae. Capsule membranous, bursting irregularly. Seeds 

 globose, with a fleshy testa, giving them the appearance of small 

 tubers. 



1207. C. asiaticum Roxb. fl. ind. ii. 128. Herbert amaryll. 

 p. 24>3. C. toxicarium Roxb.fi. ind. ii. 135. Radix toxicaria 

 Rumph. East Indies. 



Bulb with a terminal, stoloniferous, fusiform portion issuing from the 

 crown of the bulb, descending deep into the mud or earth ; from the 

 last-mentioned portion proceed the ramous fibrous roots. Stem 0. 

 Leaves radical, equally disposed on every side, linear, concave (so much 

 so that a section forms nearly a perfect semicircle) ; margins smooth ; 

 length from 1 to 3 feet, and where broadest, little more than f of an 

 inch. Scapes generally shorter than the longer leaves, a little com- 

 pressed, smooth, often coloured. Umbels with from 6 to 16 flowers. 

 Spathe 2-leaved, with filiform bracts amongst the flowers. Flowers 

 large, white, subsessile, fragrant during the night. Tube cylindrical 

 from 4> to 6 inches long, coloured, or pale-green, according to exposure, 

 smooth. Divisions of the limb linear-lanceolate, equally disposed; 

 margins waved a little ; a recurved process at the apex of each. Fila- 

 ments equally disposed, ascending, upper half coloured ; anthers linear, 

 incumbent. Ovary inferior; style as long as the stamens, declinate; 

 stigma simple. Fruit membranaceous, subglobose, containing in one 

 cell 1 or 2 rugose, bulb-like seeds, and although the flowers are sub- 

 sessile, the capsules are on short stalks. Roxb. The bulbs are power- 

 fully emetic ; they are used to produce violent vomiting in cases of 

 poisoning by the Antiaris. Rumphia i. 55. 



1208. Oporanthus luteus Herbert is said to have purgative 

 bulbs. 



BRUNSVIGIA. 



Perianth tubular, with a spreading equal or unequal 6-parted 

 limb. Stamens 6, inserted into the bottom of the tube, erect, or 

 somewhat declinate. Capsule membranous, triangular, or al- 

 most 3-lobed, with the angles sometimes winged, bursting into 

 3 valves through the cells. Seeds few, oblong, black, often 

 fleshy. 



571 



