SCILLA AUTUMNALIS. AUTUMNAL SOQUIL. 
SCILLA. Linn. Gen, Pl. Hexanpria Monocynia. 
Cor. G-petala, patens, decidua. — Filamenza filiformia. 
Rai: Syn. Gen, 26. HERBA RADICE BULBOSA PRJEDIT E. 
SCILLA autumnalis foliis filiformibus linearibus, Honbus corymbofis, pedunculis nudis adfcendentibus 
longitudine floris. — Lzzz. Sy/t. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 329. Sp. Pl. 443. — 
HYACINTHUS ftellaris autumnalis minor. Baub. Pin. p. 47. et major ejufd. p. 46. 
HYACINTHUS autumnalis major et minor. Clif. Hf. 1. p. 185. fig. 1, 2. Magn. Bor. Monfp. p. 134. 
HYACINTHUS autumnalis. Winter Hyacinth.—autumnalis major. Great Winter Hyacinth Ger, 
Herb. p. 98. f. 3, 4. emac. 110. fig. 1, 2. | 
HYACINTHUS autumnalis minor. The leffer Autumn Jacinth, Park. Parad. p. 199. 
RADIX bulbus fubrotundus, albidus, tunicatus, fapore 
nicatus, ROOT a roundifh bulb, of a whitifh colour, coated, of 
fubdulci, mucilaginofus, fibrillis albidis. 4 
a fweetifh tafte and mucilaginous, the fibres 
whitifh. 
FOLIA plurima, radicalia, linearia, fcapo breviora, 
glabra, interne canaliculata, externe con- 
vexa, ftriata, recurva, obtufiufcula. 
LEAVES numerous, from the root, linear, fhorter than _ 
the fcapus, fmooth, internally concave, ex- 
ternally convex and ftriated, bent back, fome- 
what blunt at the points. 
SCAPUS fubtriuncialis, ere€tus, teres, flriato-angulofus, 
ad lentem villofus, nudus, inferne ex albo- 
virefcens, fuperne purpuraf{cens. 
SCAPUS about three inches high, upright, round, be- 
twéen fcored and angular, villous if magni- 
fied, naked, below of a whitifh green colour, 
above purplifh. 
FLORES 5—12 racemofi, e purpureo-cerulefcentes. FLOWERS from 5 to 12, growing in a racemus, of 
a blueifh purple colour. 
PEDUNCLES afcending, the length of the flower, 
PEDUNCULI ad{cendentes, longitudine floris, ebrac- 
. without a bra€tea,. 
teat. 
COROLLA: Pera:a fex, ovata, quorum tria paulo 
anguftiora, obtufiufcula, apice callofa, e viridi 
fulca, jig. 1. 
COROLLA: fix Peraus, ovate, three of which area 
little narrower than the reft, callous and of a 
greenifh brown colour at the tips, fg. 1. 
STAMINA: FizAMENTA 6, purpurafcentia, lata, füb- 
ulata; ANTHzERE fuübcordate, magne, primo 
faturate purpurea, emiffo polline nigricantes, 
Jg. 2. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum, cerulefcens, h- 
neis fex albidis impreffis notatum ; Sryrus 
trigonus, trifulcatus, longitudine ftammum ; 
STIGMA fimplex, fg. 3. 
STAMINA: fix Firaments, of a purplifh colour, 
broad, tapering, AN THER & fomewhat heart- 
fhaped, large, at firft of a deep purple colour, 
on {hedding of the pollen blackifh, fe. 2. 
PISTILLUM: Grermen fomewhat ovate, blueifh, 
marked with fix 1mpreffed white lines; Sv 1E 
three-cornered, three-grooved, the length of 
the ftamina; ST1GMA fimple, jg. 9. 
'" PERICARPIUM: Capsu ta fubrotunda, trivalvis, val- 
vis ovatis, concavis, diflepimento per medium 
divifis, maturato femine patentibus, jig. 4. 
SEED-VESSEL: a roundifh Capsute of three valves, 
the valves ovate, concave, divided by a par- 
tition running through the middle, expanding 
wide when the feed is ripe, fg. 4. 
SEMINA fex, duo fingulam valvam implentia, majul- 
cula, nigricantia, nitidula, trigona, latere 
exteriore convexo, duobus interioribus planis, 
Sig: 5- 
Moft of the old writers who treat of the Se/a autumnalis, defcribe two kinds, a major and a minor ; but as 
thefe diftin&ions are founded chiefly on the fize of the plant, and which depends on accidental circumftances, they 
are not deferving of much attention. GERARD was not aware of its being a Britifh native. Parxrnson informs 
us, that he found it growing on a bank by the Thames fide, at the hither end of Chelfea; and he notices a 
variety of it with white flowers. 
In Mr. Ray’s Synopfis it is defcribed to grow on Blackheath, on certain parts of which it may {till be found 
in abundance; and, in the fame work, it is faid to be found plentifully on St. Vincents-Rock, near Briftol ; 
there alfo it ftill exifts in great profufion, as I am affured by Dr. Forp, my much valued friend, who gave me 
this autumn many plants which he had gathered there, the bulbs of which were in general much larger 
than thofe which grow about London : it is found alfo near Ditton, on Moulfey-Hurft, over againft Hampton- 
Court, and not many years fince was obferved fparingly on Kew-Green. | 
It ufually grows in paftures where the foil is a light and not very fertile loam; in its wild flate it rarely exceeds 
three inches in height, cultivated it acquires twice its ufual fize, and from one bulb {pring feveral ftems: it begins 
to flower about the third week in Auguft, and continues in bloflom three weeks or a month. In moft of the wild 
fpecimens the flowering ftalks come up without the leaves, in fome few the leaves accompany them, and after- 
wards acquiring their full fize, appear above ground the greateft part of the year; but, being fmall and grafly, 
they do not readily lead to a difcovery of the plant. 
Such as are defirous of cultivating this little herald of autumn, may raife it from feeds, which it produces in 
plenty, and from which Crusivs informs us, that he obtained flowering plants the third year; it may be increafed 
alfo, though flowly, by its bulbs, which fhould be planted in a light loamy foil, and placed in a dry part of the 
garden; the beft mode isto plant the bulbs in a pot of fuitable earth, and plunge them in the border, they will thus 
be fecured from being loft (which, from their fize, they would be apt to be) when the border is dug up; the 
fame treatment is applicable to any other {mall hardy bulbs. 
SEEDS fix, two filling each valve, rather large, blackifh, 
fhining, three-cornered, the outer fide con- 
vex, the two inner ones flat, fig. 5. 
