PLATE LXXXIII. 



MORiEA TRICOLOR. 



Three-coloured Morcca. 



CLASS III. ORDER I. 

 TRIJKDRIA M0N0GYN1J. Three Chives. One Pointal. 



Calyx. Spathae bivalves. 

 Corolla hcxapetala, patens; petala tria intc- 

 riora patentia, angufiiora. 



Stamina. Filamcnta tria, brevia. Anthers; ob- 

 longs. 



PisTiLLt'M. Germcn inferum, oblongum. Sty- 

 lus fimplex, brcvillimus. Stigmata tria, 

 bifida. 



Pericartium. Captula trigona, trifulcatn, tri - 

 locularis. 



Semina plarima, rotunda. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Emblement. Sheaths of two valves. 

 Blossom fix petals, threading; the three inner- 

 moft petals are more fpread out and nar- 

 rower. 

 Chives. Three fhort threads. Tips oblong. 



Pointal. Seed-bud beneath and oblong. Shalt 

 (imple, and very lhort. Summits three, 

 two-cleft. 



Seed-vessel. Capfule three fided, thrcc-fur- 

 rowed, three cells. 



Seeds many, and round. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 

 Moraea fcapo teritij foliis radicalibus, lanceola- Morxa with a round flower-ftem ; the leaves 



tis, canaliculars, fcapo longiores; floribus 

 terminalibus, tricoloratis. 



grow from the root, arc lance-fhapcd, chan- 

 nelled, and longer than the flower Hem; 

 the flowers are terminal, and three-co- 

 loured. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 

 1. An outer Petal of the Bloffcm. 

 2 An inner Petal of the fame. 



3. The Chives and Pointal; the petals being cut off, to expofe the fituation of the Chives hid 

 under the fummits. 



To G. Hibbert. Efq. of Clapham Common, we owe the introduction of this beautiful little Mora a. be 

 having received it from his collector at the Cape, in the fpring of 1799- it is certainly a pel 

 new fpecies here, and we believe has not been feen to flower in Europe before, as it is not in the 

 extenfive Collections, of the Emperor of Germany; at leaft it is not to be found amongft the ninny 

 figured by Profcflbr Jacquin. The very lhort duration of the blofibms, at firft, had determined us 

 to name it fpecifically, fugax ; but finding we were anticipated in thai name, by Jacquin, in his 

 Hortus. III. tab. 20. we have adopted that of tricolor. The drawing was made at Clapham this 

 year, in October; although we conceive the regular feafon for its blowing would be... June, or July, 

 if planted like other Cape bulbs in autumn. The only means of feeing this plant in perfection, is, 

 by keeping it entirely from the air when near flowering, as it is too delicate to bear the lcatt expo- 

 sure; it begins to expand about twelve o'clock, and is quite decayed by three. From every appear- 

 ance, without a fupply from the Cape, this delicate little bulb will, (as many others have) be 

 loft to this country. 



