PLATE CCLX. 



ORNITHOGALUM ODORATUM. 



Sweet-fcented Star of Betlilehem. 



CLASS VL ORDER L 

 HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Six Chives. One Pointal. 



GENERIC 

 Calyx nullus. 

 Corolla. Petala fex, lanceolata, infra medium 



erefta, fupra medium patentia, perfiftentia, 



colorem demittentia. 

 Stamina. Filamenta fex, ereiSla, alterna bafi 



dilatata, corolla breviora. Antheroe fim- 



plices. 

 PisTiLLUM. Germen angulatum. Stylus fub- 



ulatus, perfiftens. Stigma obtufum. 

 Pekicakpium. Capfula fubrotunda, angulata, 



trilocularis, trivalvis. 

 Semina plura, fubrotunda. 

 Obs. Filamenta in aliis plana, eredta, alterna 



apice trifido, media lacinia antherarum 



fuftinente> in aliis alterna, iimplicia. 



HARACTER. 



Empalement none. 



Blossom. Petals fix, lance-fliaped, below the 

 middle upright, above the middle Ipreading, 

 remaining, lofing their colour. 



Chives. Six threads upright, each alternate 

 one widening at the bafe, fliorter than the 

 blolfom. Tips fimple. 



Pointal. Seed-bud angular. Shaft awl-fhaped, 

 remaining. Summit blunt. 



Seed-vessel. Capfule roundifh, angular, three- 

 celled, three-valved. 



Seeds many, roundiih. 



Obs. The threads in fome are flat and upright, 

 the alternate ones trifid at top, the middle 

 fegment fupporting the tip; in others the 

 alternate ones are fimple. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Ornithogalum racemo elongato; filamentis fub- 

 ulatis; petalis lanceolatis, obtufis, apice 

 callofo-inflexisj foliis depreflis, linearibus, 

 planis. 



Star of Bethlehem with the bunch of flowers 

 lengthened; threads awl-fhaped; petals 

 lance-fliaped, blunt, thick, and turned in- 

 wards at the point; leaves bent downward, 

 linear, and fmooth. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1 . A Flower prop. 



2. The Chives and Pointal, the petals being removed. 



3. The Pointal. 



4. The fame, magnified. 



This fpecies of Star of Bethlehem, from the Cape of Good Hope, is a rival in fragrpnce to the great- 

 flowered, or Arabian fpecies, to which it is much affined in ever)' part but the colour of the blofl"om; 

 which, in this, is yellowifli, and in that, it is white with a dark eye. It is rather a delicate bulb; and 

 to make it flower, fliould be kept in the hothoufe, where, it will blolTom about May or June. Our 

 drawing was made from a plant which had been received, from the Cape, by Mr. Hibbert, the pre- 

 ceding year, 18C0; and we much fear, what has been faid of the great-flowered fpecies, may be con- 

 fidered as referential alfo to this; viz. that the bulbs never flower, but the tirllyear after importation. 

 We have not been able to trace the appearance of a flower, from any of the bulbs, this year, which 

 has led us to this conjefture; indeed, many of the fpecies of this genus have this characler; more 

 particularly, thofe from Africa. 



It has flowered at Vienna, and has been figured by Profeflbr Jacquin in his Ic. Plant, rar. vol. ii. 

 tab. 432. 



gnn 



mm 



