PLATE V. 



GLADIOLUS LONGIFLORUS. 



Long-flowered Gladiolus. 



CLASS III. ORDER I. 



TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal. 



GENERIC 



Calyx. Spathre bivalves. 

 Corolla, fexpartita, ringens. Petala oblonga, 

 omnia unguibus in tubum conata. 



Stamina. Filamenta tria, fubulata, divifuris 



alternis petalorum inferta. Antherae ob- 



longae. 

 Pistillum. Germen inferum. Stylus limplex, 



longitudine ftaminium. Stigma trifidum, 



concavum. 

 Pericarpium. Capfula oblonga, obtufa, tri- 



locularis, trivalvis. 

 Semina plura, fubrotunda. 



HARACTER. 



Empalement. Sheath two valves. 



Blossom, cut into iix fegments, and gaping. 



Petals oblong, having all their claws con- 

 nected into a tube. 

 Chives. Three threads, awl-ihaped, fixed into 



each alternate divifion of the petals. Tips 



oblong. 

 Pointal. Seed-bud beneath. Shaft fitnple, the 



length of the chives. Summit divided in 



three, and concave. 

 Seed-vessel. Capfule oblong, obtufe, three 



cells, three valves. 

 Seeds many, nearly round. 



Gladiolus, foliis enfiformibus, plicatis, villofis; 

 corollis tubifonnibus, longiffimis; petalis 

 undulatis, reflexis. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Gladiolus, with fword-fliaped, plated, hairy 

 leaves; bloflbms trumpet-fhaped, and very 

 long; petals waved, and bent back. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. A Bloffom cut open, to fhew the fituation, and infertion of the Threads; the Threads, and 



Tips, remaining attached. 



2. The Seed-bud, Shaft, and its Summit. 



This fpecies of Gladiolus, (as are moft of the genus) is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, about 

 Table Mountain ; where the roots of Ixia, Antholyza, Gladiolus, &c. form a chief part of the food of 

 the inhabiting monkies. It came to England amongit many other roots and feeds of beautiful and 

 rare plants, collected by J. Pringle, Efq. of the ifland of Madeira, when on an excurfion at the Cape; 

 and lent by him to Meifrs. Lee and Kennedy, of Hammerfmith. Like moll bulbs, it has its period of 

 reft; during which, it iliould be kept without moillure, but whilft growing, requires abundance; 

 flowering about June, or July, and producing good feeds. It iliould be treated as a greenhoufe plant. 

 and planted in light fandy earth. Like the Crocus, the old root perifhing, a number of frelh ones 

 are produced, which may, (if thought necell'ary) be kept out of the ground two or three months. 



