PLATE CCLV. 



MOR^A NORTHIANA. 



Northiaii Mo?'cea. 



CLASS m. ORDER L 

 TRIANDRIJ MOKOGYNIA. Tlnee Chives. One Pointal. 



ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. 



CoKOLLA hexapetala ; petala tria interiora pa- 

 tentia, anguftiora. Stigma trifidum. 



Blossom fix petals; the three inner petals fprcad- 



ing, narrower. Summit three-cleft. 

 See MoR^A tricolor. PI. LXXXIII. Vol. II. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Moraea fcapo foliifque falcatis, glaberrimis, dif- 

 tichis; floribus terminalibus; petalis tribus 

 exterioribus ovatis, concavis, pendulis, tri- 

 bus inlerioribus lubereftis, medio retro- 

 fradis, apicibus revolulis. 



Morsea with the flower-ftem and leaves fcymi- 

 tar-fhaped, very fmooth, pointing different 

 ways; flowers terminal ; the three outer pe- 

 tals egg Ihaped, concave, hanging down, 

 the three inner ones nearly ereft, broke 

 back about the middle, and rolled back 

 at the ends. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The whole plant in miniature. 



2. The outer valve of the flieath. 



3. The inner valve of the Iheath. 



4. The Seed bud, Chives, and Pointal, as they fland in the flower. 



5. The Pointal only, the Chives being removed. 



About the year 1789 this very fine fpecies of Moraea was introduced to our gardens by the late, ele- 

 gantly talked Mrs. North, lady to the Right Hon. the Lord Bifhop of Winchefler j to whole fervor and 

 liberality in botanical purluits we owe much of the prefent prevailing tafle for the fcience. The plant 

 was brought to England by the Hon. Mr. F. North, on his return from Portugal ; the only remnant of 

 a number, which he had procured from the gardens of the late Queen of Portugal ; immediately on its 

 arrival it was configned, in a very fickly llate, to the care of MelTrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammer("mith, 

 who had the good fortune to recover it. 



It is a native of the Brazils, flowers about July or Augufl, propagates itfclf by fuckers, which it 

 makes from the root, Ihould be planted in light rich earth, and fhould be treated as a tender ho(-houfe 

 plant. The leaves grow frequently to the length of two feet, or more; forming the appearance of a 

 large fan ; the flower-llem proceeding from nearly tlie centre. The flowers furpafs, in delicacy and 

 beauty of pencilling, any of this very handfome tribe, and are as tranfitory as beautifiil, their dura- 

 tion being but of fix hours, at moll. It feldom happens that more than one flower is open at a time j 

 but the plant from which our drawing was made, in 1/97, at the Right Hon. the Marquis of Bland- 

 ford's, then refident at Bill Hill, Berks, was in the highefl perfection we have ever hitherto feen it. 



