522 L iliac ~c<z - Orn ithogalnm. 



Perianth-segments white, with a green midrib. April and 

 May. 



4. 0. pyramidale. A tall species about 2 feet high with 

 linear flaccid leaves and dense racemose flowers. Flowers 

 white, with a green stripe on each petal; bracts white. A 

 native of the South of Europe, flowering in Summer. 



0. aureum is a beautiful South African species with long 

 spikes of bright yellow flowers, but it requires slight pro- 

 tection in Winter. 



17. MUSOART. 



A South European and Asiatic genus of bulbous herbs. 

 Leaves appearing with the flowers ; the latter in racemes, deep 

 blue or white, or greenish blue, the terminal ones very often 

 abortive. Perianth small, tubular, globose, often constricted at 

 the mouth, with small reflexed lobes, segments more or less 

 united. Stamens in two series, inserted in the tube of the 

 perianth ; filaments slender or dilated, scarcely exceeding the 

 anthers. Capsule sessile, with 1 or 2 seeds in each ceil. The 

 name is from the Latin moschus, musk, in allusion to the smell 

 of the flowers of some species. The name Grape Hyacinth is 

 applied indiscriminately to any of the species. 



1. M. comosum var. monstrosum. A very remarkable and 

 abnormal plant in which the inflorescence is transformed into 

 a dense tuft of slender ramifications of a dark violet-blue. 

 Southern Europe. The normal variety is an unattractive plant 

 and rarely grown. 



2. M. racemosum. This has become naturalised in some 

 parts of England. It is a dwarf plant with linear stiff fleshy 

 leaves from 6 to 12 inches high. Scape rather shorter, with a 

 dense terminal raceme of small dark-b'ue flowers ultimately 

 changing to a reddish purple, and tipped with white in some 

 varieties. It flowers in Spring. 



3. M. botryoldes. This is one of the handsomest of the 

 genus, growing about 8 x or 10 inches high. Leaves linear, 

 channelled, glaucous. Flowers in a very dense short spike, deep 

 blue tipped with white, sky-blue and white, or wholly white. 

 A native of Southern Europe flowering in Spring. 



M. Heldreichii is a very beautiful species with much larger 

 flowers and linear flat leaves ; M. commutatum is near M. race- 

 momm, but the leaves are flaccid ; M. moschatum has very 

 sweet-scented though small greenish-yellow flowers tinged with 

 blue, or wholly blue ; M. lidenm is a pretty species with large 



