PLATE CLXXVllI. 



FERRARIA PAVONIA. 



Mexicaii Fcrraria. 



CLASS XVL ORDER L 

 MONJDELPHIA TRIANDRIJ. Threads united. Three Chives. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. Schreb. Gen. Plant. T. II. f. 45\. 



Calyx. Spathae binae, alternae, carinatae, invo- 

 lutae, uniflorae. 



CoKOLLA monopetala, fupera, fexpartita; laci- 

 niis oblongis, erefto-paientibus, undulato- 

 crifpatis, maculatis; tiibus alternis exteri- 

 oribus latioribus. 



Stamina. P"ilamenta tria, in tubum cylindra- 

 ceum, corolla breviorem, connata, luperne 

 diltinda. Autheix I'libovatae, didymae. 



PisTiLLUM. Germen oblongum, triquetrum, 

 obtufum, inferum. Stilus filiformis, Ion- 

 gitudine (ubi. 



Stigmata tria,- profunde bifida. 



Pericarpium. Capfulaoblotiga, triquetra, tri- 

 locularis, trivalvis ; diirepimentis contrariis. 



Semina numerofa, Uibrotunda, pulpa involuta. 



SPECIFIC 



Ferraria corollislub campanulatis, fpeciofUlimis; 



laciniis planis, tribus interioribus haftatis, 



nedtariferis; foliis plicatisj bafi Ipatliaceis. 



Empalement. Sheaths two, alternate, keeled, 

 involute, one-Hiiwered. 



Blossom one prtal, above, fix divided; feg- 

 ments oblong, upright I'preading, crilp- 

 ■waved and fpotted; the three alternate outer 

 ones the broadeft. 



Chives. Threads three, in a cylindrical tube 

 fliorler than the bloirom, joined together, 

 fei'arateat the top. Tips nearjy egg-lliaped, 

 double. 



PoiNTAL. Seed-bud oblong, three-fided, blunt, 

 bf-neath. Shaft thread-iliaped, the length 

 of the tube. 



Summits three, dee])ly two cleft. 



Seed vessel Capfule oblong, three-fided, three- 

 celled, three-vnlved ; partitions contrary. 



Seeds many, roundifli, covered with a pulp. 



CHARACTER. 



Fcrraria with bloiroms nearly bell fliaped and 

 very (liewy; fegments plain, the three inner 

 ones are halbert-lhaped, and have honey- 

 cups, leaves plaited, fheathing at the bale. 



REFRRENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The two Sheaths of the Empalement. 



2. An outer Petal of the Flower. 



3. An inner Petal of the Flower. 



4. The Chives and Pointal. 



5. The Chives fpread open. 



6. The Pointal complete, one of the fummits magnified. 



*«»> 



This is, without doubt, the Mexican plant given in the2iid. Vol. t. 31. f. 2. of Swertius's Flnrilcgium, 

 publifiied in idl'J; by F. Hernandez, in his Nov. Plant. &c. M^-x. Hirt. p 276, in 1(518; and of Miitis, 

 under the title it here bears, in his Flo. Amer. I . t. 15; from whom it has been copied into the Suppl. 

 Plant, of the yovuiger Linn;cus, p. 407. and continued by Pnifeir.n- Martyn in his Mill. Die. Art. Fcr- 

 raria 2. 1 his Genus, which was originally formed on the Ferraria undulata of the Cape, and placed 

 to the clafs Gynandria by Linnaeus, has been lb continued by Martyn, &c. but upon what grounds, we 

 are unable to determine; unlefs ihemitlake arole from the inijirifticability of dividing the tube of the 

 chives, from the Ihaft, in a dried I'pecimen ; which, in inch tr.infiiory riowers as thole of Ferraria, 

 Sir\ rinchium, Gal.Txia. &c. all of this chils, feein, in that ftale, to form a perfed unifon. Schreber 

 has ref-rred iheie Genera, in his Ed. of Linu. Gen. Plant, lo where they certainly muft ftand, to Mo- 

 nadelphia. But, although, we have continurd the plant under the title by whicii it is generally known, 

 from an adherence to our original principle ; yet do we think, it equally necelfary to Hate our opinion, 

 whv we confider its geneiical reference to have been as ill taken up, as ihe Genus had been ill clalli- 

 fied. This plant, as may be feen from our dilfedions, is much nigher affined to SifyrinchiuiTi, as it 

 wants every ellential chara6ter of Ferraria, fuch as a llieath of one leaf, undulated crifped petals, 

 hooded and fringed lummils, &c. for we do not confiler the length of the tube of the blolVom of any 

 moinent, as it is nut conrtant. Now, every diftinguifliing feature of Sify rinchium are here extant, viz. 

 a flieath of two leaves, flat or plain petals, fummits neither hooded or fringed ; but our figure will 

 belter explain, than words, ihefe tirong marked differences. If indeed we were lo give an opinion, it 

 certainly would not be in coincidence with Thunberg, by placing the whole Genus lo Mora-a; but to 

 create a new one from this plant; whofe whole ftrui^hire, but efpecially from the Neftaria or honey- 

 cups upon the margin of the inner petals, ftands eminently diliinguifhed from all others. 



This moll diliinguiihed plant, was fit It introdnced to this country by Mrs. Hudlon of Manchefter, 

 about the year 179"; but is now fmind in moll colle6tions round the Metropolis. It is increafed by 

 the li ed, which ripens in this climate, and fiom the root, which makes abundance of offsets. The flow- 

 ers expand in rotation, three or four upon each liem at the interval of a lew days ; the Hem growing 10 

 the height ot about two feet. So very rapid is the progrefs of the bloflbm in its decay, from the time 

 of its opening, which is generally about fcven o'clock in the morning ; that before twelve, the luflre 

 is gone, and it is quite decayed by three, or four. Our drawing was made at thcHainmerfmith Nur- 

 lery in July; and Hill there were a number of flower liems, which had not, as yet, made an appear- 

 ance of flowering. It is beft grown in peat earth. 



