By Mr. David Douglas. 



277 



glaucous, smooth, shorter than the scape, convolute and 

 strongly nerved. Bracteae acuminate, longer than the pe- 

 duncles, and membranously winged at the base. Flowers 

 terminal, 2 with unequal peduncles ; one double the length of 

 the other, and thicker than the stem. Outer petals lance- 

 olate, acuminate, one ribbed, often irregularly winged, par- 

 taking of the nature of a calyx, longer than the inner, which 

 are obovate- wedge shaped, membranous, rich purple, with a 

 transverse brown streak above the tuft of hairs, which are 

 yellow. Anthers deep purple. Ovarium 3-celled, with the 

 ovules arranged in a double row. Stigmas reddish. Capsule 

 linear-oblong, acute. Seeds oval, pale yellow, in a single row. 



In June 1825, during an excursion to the undulating, dry 

 barren grounds around the Great Falls of the Columbia river, 

 and on the summit of the low hills between them and the 

 Grand Rapids, 200 miles from the ocean, this species came 

 under my notice, but not commonly. In the summer of 

 1826, 1 again observed it, and in abundance, on the banks of 

 the southern branches of the Columbia, towards their sources 

 in the mountains, growing luxuriantly in similar soils. 



2. C.nitidus: caule 2-3-phyllo quadrifloro, petalis interioribus prseter pilorum 

 fasciculum sparse lanatis, capsulis erectis ovalibus. 



Root bulbous, solid. Stem round, erect, smooth and glossy. 

 Radical leaf long, linear, obtuse, convolute, and strongly 

 nerved. Bracteje acuminate, shorter than the peduncle. 

 Peduncles unequal, two double the size of the others ; the 

 smaller two situated in the centre. Flowers terminal, in- 

 variably four. Outer petals lanceolate-acuminate, and like the 

 preceding, ribbed and winged at the'base. Inner petals obo- 

 vate-wedge- shaped, covered with very long, loose, entangled, 



