PLATE CCLXVIII. 



GLADIOLUS PLICATUS. 



Plait ed-leaved Gladiolus. 



CLASS IIL ORDER L 

 TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal. 



ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Corolla fexpartita, ringens. Stamina adfcen- |l Bloffom fixdivided, gaping. Chives afccnding. 

 dentia. || See Gladiolus roseus, PI. XI. Vol. I. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Gladiolus follis eniiforraibus, plicatls, villofis; 

 corollis regularibus ; fpatha trivalvi; fcapo 

 lateral!. 



Gladiolus with fword-fliaped leaves, plaited and 

 hairy; blolToms regular; {heath three- 

 valved; flower-ftem lateral. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



] . The three-valved Sheath. ■* 



"i. A Bloirom fpread open, to flievv the lituation and direction of Tips. 

 3. The Pointal,' and Seed-bud, one of the Summits magnified. 



The varieties, generally comprehended as fuch, of this fpecies of Gladiolus, are extended, in number, 

 beyond any others with which we are, as yet, acquainted, of this extenfive genus. Already, wc 

 have drawings of 22; and many more, certainly, there are, even in this kingdom; but we fliall 

 content ourfelves with figuring, in the Bot. Rep. 3 or 4, of the moti curious. One of the varieties of 

 this plant, has been in cultivation with us fince the year 1/57, when it was railed by Mr. Miller from 

 Cape feeds. The one reprefented in our prefent figure, was received, from Holland, in the year 1794, 

 by MelTrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammerfmith; it is one of the hardieft, and fureft flowering varieties 

 of the fpecies; for there are but few of them which bloifom freely. The bulbs (hould be planted in 

 fandy peat, about October, and taken into the hot-houfe, or placed on a I'ot-bed, in January, to 

 encourage a rapid and early growth; by which means, they are more frequently induced to throw 

 out their flower fiems the beginning of April, which otherwife, often prove abortive. The roots 

 fliould not be removed from the pots, till the leaves are fomewhat decayed. 



This is the Glad, plicatus of Linn. Sp. PI. p. 53; Thunb. Dilf. de Glad. n.21; Jac. Ic. Rar. 2. 

 t. 237; of tl'e Kew Cat. Vol. L p. 63; Martyn's Miller, art. Glad. 5. and of Wilkienow's Spe. Plant. 

 T. 1 . p. 220; yet, we cannot refrain from joining in opinio- with the late Mr. Curtis that it approaches 

 as near Ixia, as Gladiolus; for the Ixia rubro cyanea of t'le Bot. Mag. is but a variety of this fpecies. 

 Rut we cannot fo readily laloonify our lenfcs, will- trifling changes, as to think, with a modern 

 reforming author, that a new genus was neceflary, in this inliancc, to reftify this pr.rt of the Species 

 Plantarum, of the incompetent I Linnarus. 



