Plate 33. 

 CYETANTHUS McKenii. 



Natal. 



Amaryllidaceae. Tribe Amarylleae. 

 Cyrtanthus, Ait. ; Benth. et Hook f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 729. 



Cyrtanthus McKenii, Hook. fil. in Gard. Ohron., 1869, p. 641, with fig. ; 

 Fl. Cap. vol. vi. p. 225 ; Wood, Natal Plants, vol. i. t. 51. 



The species of Cyrtanthus, which with one exception are 

 confined to South Africa, have always received notice from 

 gardeners. Our plant was described in 1869 from specimens 

 sent to Europe by Mr. McKen, and a coloured drawing 

 appeared soon after (1873) in one of the illustrated botanical 

 publications. As far as our records go, this species is confined 

 to Natal, where it is known as fche u Ifafa Lily." The 

 specimens from which our illustration was made were gathered 

 by Miss K. A. Lansdell on the banks of the Ifafa Eiver near 

 Port Shepstone, the original locality in which Mr. McKen 

 first discovered the species. The flowers are strongly 

 scented. 



Descbiption : — Bulb 3-4 cm. in diameter, ovoid ; tunics 

 brown, membranous. Leaves 2-6, erect, contemporary with 

 the flowers, 20-30 cm. long, 0*9-2 cm. broad, linear, obtuse, 

 narrowed to the base, glabrous. Peduncle reddish-brown near 

 the base, longer than the leaves, sub-terete, hollow. Inflores- 

 cence a 4-10-flowered umbel. Spathe-valves 2, green, spotted 

 with reddish-brown marks when young, at length withering, 

 2 , 5-3 , 5 cm. long, 4-7 mm. broad, lanceolate, acute. Flowers 

 sub-erect, pure white with yellowish throats. Floral-bracts 

 linear. Pedicle 0'8-l # 5 cm. long, terete. Perianth-tube 3-3*5 

 cm. long, 7-9 mm. in diameter at the throat, gradually widening 

 from the base upwards ; lobes spreading, 6-7 mm. long,5-6 mm. 

 broad, ovate, the 3 outer cucullate at the apex ; the 3 inner 

 emarginate. Stamens sub-sessile, in 2 whorls below the throat 

 of the perianth tube ; anthers oblong. Ovary sub-trigonous ; 



