420 Notice relative to the Management of the 



its first blossoms ; in 1819 it flowered three times, and in 

 1820 four times, and the flower which was lately sent to the 

 Society is the first of the present year. The soil within the 

 pot is a rich loam, mixed with a small portion of vegetable 

 mould and rotten dung. The house is generally kept in a 

 brisk heat, and abundance of water is given to the plant, 

 especially when it puts forth its blossom. 



The bulb in the thickest part, next the soil, is two feet 

 three inches in circumference, a considerable part of it 

 grows above the surface of the earth, having a long extended 

 stem or neck which terminates at the top in a crown of leaves 

 spreading elegantly in every direction, with the ends bending 

 downwards ; the leaves are from four to five feet long, and 

 from five to six inches wide in the broadest part ; their edges 

 are smooth, and when held up to the light, appear very re- 

 gularly striated longitudinally. The flowering stem, or scape, 

 breaks out from the neck of the bulb, below the leaves : it 

 is compressed, not round, about three inches in circumfe- 

 rence, grows generally three feet or more in length, and is 

 slightly tinged with colour. The umbel of flowers is at first 

 enveloped in a slightly tinged, green spathe, about eight 

 inches long, which divides into two parts, and becomes re- 

 flexed close to the scape, shewing its inner surface, which 

 is very pale and shining. The flowers usually average above 

 thirty ; they rise irregularly from the flattened top of the 

 scape, intermixed with narrow bracteae. which are from three 

 to four inches long, their inside being nearly white, and their 

 backs keeled, and stained with lake. Each separate flower 

 has a peduncle about an inch and a half long, more or less 

 speckled with the same colour as the rest of the flower, but 



