Plate 13. 



olivia miniata. 



Natal. 



Amaryllidaceae. Tribe Amarylleae. 

 Olivia, Lindl. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 729. 



Olivia miniata, Kegel, Gartenflora, 1864, p. 131, t. 434; Fl. Gap. vol. vi. p. 229. 

 Imantophyllum (?) miniatum, ffook. Bot. Mag. t. 4783. 



This species, indigenous to Natal, represents only one of 

 many of our native plants, which have been brought to the 

 notice of horticulturists by English Nurserymen. A living 

 plant was exhibited at a meeting of the Horticultural Society 

 in February 1854 by Messrs. Backhouse, who imported the 

 plant from Natal. The specimen from which our illustration 

 was made was collected by Miss K. A. Lansdell at Ifafa on 

 the South Coast of Natal. The species is a shade lover, and is 

 usually found flowering in the shelter of rocks and trees. The 

 size and number of the flowers have been much improved by 

 cultivation, and several hybrids have been raised from the 

 species. The flowers may vary in colour from a red to a 

 yellowish-red. 



Description: — Rootstock a fleshy rhizome, 1-5-2 cm. in 

 diameter, with numerous fleshy cylindrical roots. Leaves 

 many, 40-50 cm. long, 5-6*5 cm. broad, strap-shaped, acute, 

 slightly narrowed at the base, the leaf bases forming a distinct 

 swelling just above the rhizome, glabrous, bright green. 

 Peduncles shorter than the leaves, compressed, sharply 

 2-edged. Inflorescence a 12-20-flowered umbel. Spathe-valves 

 4 cm. long, 7-8 mm. broad, ovate-oblong, membranous. Floral 

 bracts 2*5 cm. long, linear. Flowers erect. Perianth divided 

 almost to the base ; tube about 5 mm. long ; segments 5-7 cm. 

 long; the inner 1*1 cm. and the outer 1*8-2-1 cm. broad at the 

 widest part, oblanceolate ; the inner emarginate ; the outer 

 minutely thickened at the apex ; all obtuse, gradually narrowed 

 to a claw ; bright red, with white margins at the lower half. 



