By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 429 



currence, and as some additions to the circumstances noticed 

 in them will be useful, I shall endeavour to explain the sub- 

 ject entirely. 



The bulbs produce one or more buds, according to their 

 strength, and every one of these buds forms a fasciculus, as 

 before observed, which, if sufficiently strong to be floriferous,* 

 produces one or more flowers, accompanied by a certain 

 quantity of leaves, the whole being sheathed or enveloped in 

 external membranous coverings, which are always present, in 

 greater or less number, and are of different lengths, the outer 

 ones being always the shortest. 



Each separate flower is supported by an underground 

 three-sided scape. Certain species which are here treated on, 

 viz. C. vermis and C. versicolor, have a membranous sheath, 

 which has been erroneously called a spathe, situated at the 

 base of the scape, which sheath extends a little above the 

 summit of the scape, or about on a level with the germen. If 

 the bulb be strong, this sheath envelopes or encloses two 

 complete inflorescences, but it is present if only a single 

 inflorescence is produced. Each flower in all the species 

 has at the base of its germen either one or two bracts, which 

 enclose the flower before it rises and expands. Two of the 

 species herein described, C. vernus and C. lacteus, have only 

 a single bract of this description, whilst the other species 

 have uniformly two. Where two of these bracts exist, one is 

 always included within and opposite to the other. In those 

 species where two inflorescences are included within the 

 membranous sheath above mentioned, each separate flower 

 has, notwithstanding, its own peculiar bract or bracts at the 

 base of the germen. 



* The weak buds produce leaves only. 



