PLATE XIX. 
GLADIOLUS VERSICOLOR. 
Changeable Gladiolus. 
CLASS Ill. 
-“TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. 
ORDER I. 
One Pointal. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Catyrx. Spathz bivalves. 
Corotta, fexpartita, ringens. Petala oblonga, 
omnia unguibus in tubum connata. 
Stamina. Filamenta tria, fubulata, divifuris 
alternis petalorum inferta. Antherze ob- 
 jonge. 
Pistittum, Germen inferum. Stylus fimplex, 
longitudine ftaminum. Stigma trifidum 
concavum. 
Pericarpium. Capfula oblonga, obtufa, tri- 
locularis, trivalvis. 
Semina plura, fubrotunda. 
: SPECIFIC 
Gladiolus, foliis lineari-cruciatis; floribus maxi- 
mis, verficoloribus. 
Empatement. Sheath two valves. 
Buossom, of fix divifions, and gaping. Petals 
oblong, having their claws formed into a 
tube. 
Cuives. Three awl-fhaped threads, fixed into 
the alternate divifions of the petals. Tips 
oblong. 
Ponrat. Seed-bud beneath. Shaft fimple, the 
length of the chives. Summit cut into 
three, and concave... , 
Sgep-vesset. Capfule oblong, plunt-ended, 
' three cells, three valves. 
Serps many, nearly round. 
CHARACTER. 
Gladiolus, with linear crofs.fhaped leaves; flowers 
very large, and changeable. 
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REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 
1, The two Sheaths of the Empalement. 
2. The Pointal, and Seed-bud; one of the divifions of the Summit magnified. 
3. A ripe Seed, natural fize, in its tunic. 
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Tuar colour bears the charaéter given it by Sir Ifaac Newton, our prefent fubje& (as did the prifm) 
adds another proof. The Gladiolus verficolor might, like the camelion, equally be a fubject of pes 
tention, to thofe who have feen its bloffom at different periods of the fame day; for, firange t - 
it is brown in the morning, and continues to change from that colour till it becomes light er 
night. During the night it regains its priftine colour; and this change is effected diurnally, Ze g 
the flower is in its vigour; but upon the decay, the change is leis powerful, gradually fixing aa 
dark brown; which, however, does not take place in lefs than nine or ten days. This is the 0 y 
flower, we have ever noticed, to regain the colour that has once forfook it. 
A drawing was begae 
about ten o'clock in the morning, but before it was finithed the plant was fo totally altered in o- 
that there was an abfolute neceffity for taking a fecond day to complete it. The bulbs of this pa? 
were fent from the Cape of Good Hope by J. Pringle, Efq. of Madeira, in 1794, amongft many a 
to Mefits, Lee and Kennedy, of Hammerfmith, where the drawing was made. It flowers about 
‘month of June; is increafed by the root or feed; and thrives beft in peat earth. 
