496 AMARYLLiDACE^,. [Galanthus. 



having the same direction as the seed. — Flowers large, generally 

 of a bright colour. Leaves fleshy, indistinctly nerved, all radical. 

 Eoots bulbous." — Br. Fl. 



I. Galanthus, Linn. Snowdrop. 



" Perianth campanulate, of 6 pieces, 3 outer ones spreading, 3 

 inner smaller, erect, emarginate. Anthers opening by a pore. 

 Seed with a whitish skin. Floiuer from a spatha. — Scape solid." 

 Br. Fl. 



f ? 1. G. nivalis, L. Snowdrop. Fair Maids of February. 

 Br. Fl. p. 430. E. B. t. 19. Fl. Dan. x. t. 1641. 



On banks amongst brushwood, in thickets, and hedges in close lanes, appa- 

 rently wild ; also naUiralized in orchards, groves and pastures near houses, in 

 several places. Fl. February, March. Fr. May. If. 



E. Med. — The Grove, near Brading, naturalized, [the late] Lady Brenton !! 

 On Nunwell Warren, JDr. Bell-Salter. Naturalized under trees below the 

 Eookery, Nunwell. Very plentiCally at Gillmans, near Champion, G. Kirkpa- 

 trick, Esq. .'.'.' At King's quay, Rev. James Pen/old. 



W. Med. — In great profusion on the steep bushy sides of Snowdrop lane, im- 

 mediately W. of Gatcombe park, between that and Ganson's barn, and due N. of 

 Gatcombe village, also in several spots adjoining the park. It grows, I am told, 

 in several places about Chillerton, and on a bank at the entrance to Gatcombe 

 park, also in a field at Shorwell. Abundant by the roadside going into Chale" 

 farm, Blackgang, Dr. Martin. In a little wood by the Yar below Freshwater 

 mill, on its E. bank, Rev. James Penfold !!! 



The white ovate bulb sends up a simple scape, from 4 or 5 to 12 inches high. 

 Leaves 2, shorter than the stem, linear, pale glaucous green, with an obtuse, 

 glandular and whitish tip, concave above, strongly keeled beneath, invested for 

 about ^id their length with a white, membranous, abrupt sheath; after flowering 

 the leaves droop and finally spread upon the ground. Scape somewhat ancipital, 

 bearing a solitary pendulous flower, its peduncle partially enclosed in a transpa- 

 rent spathe, bifid at the point, with green inflexed edges, and very little shorter 

 than itself. Segments of the perianth at first connivent, at length spreading, the 

 3 outer ovate, pure white ; the 3 inner cuneato-cordate, notched in the middle, 

 tipped with green on their outer edge, furrowed and elegantly streaked with the 

 same colour on the inner side. Anthers orange-coloured, tapering, on very short 

 filaments, erect, awned, bursting at the summit on their inner face. Style slen- 

 der, tapering, a little longer than the stamens; stigma a minute tuft of glandular 

 hairs. Capsule drooping, about ^ an inch in length, oblong-obovate, very obtusely 

 trigonous, with a flat circular scar at top, seldom ripening. 



The Snowdrop has a faint but perceptible and delicate fragrance, not com- 

 monly noticed. In the wild state, as also in gardens, the seeds are rarely per- 

 fected, but the capsule, though fully and abundantly formed, drops otf before 

 arriving at maturity. 



It does not appear certain that there is more than one species of the Snowdrop, 

 though a second, G.plicalus, Bieb., is adopted by many botanists ; by others it 

 is considered a variety of the present. As the point is still unsettled, and the 

 majority incline to the latter opinion, I have refrained from giving a specific 

 character. 



II. Naecissus, Linn. Daffodil. 



Perianth coloured, tubular at the base, vdth a spreading 6-par- 

 tite limb, and a campanulate or cup-shaped crown or nectary, 



