By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



461 



4. C. versicolor purpureus. (See Plate 11, jFVg. 6.) Is very 

 early in the production of its flowers, which are particularly 

 beautiful. The leaves are abundant, rather broad, rigid, 

 spreading, and continue green late. The tube of the flower 

 is indistinctly striped with lilac at the top. The petals are 

 short, small, equal, concave, and obovate ; the backs of the 

 outer almost entirely covered with a broad dark purple fea- 

 ther, having two whitish stripes dividing it longitudinally in 

 the middle ; the inner petals are pale purple at the top, and 

 white below, with three short feathered stripes, the middle 

 one darkest and longest ; the insides of the six petals are lilac, 

 paler towards the bottom ; the outer are darker, all showing 

 the internal markings transparently through. The stigmas are 

 deep orange, usually nearly equal to, but sometimes shorter 

 than the anthers. The stigmas are occasionally not pro- 

 duced at all, and the anthers are also frequently abortive. 

 This variety does not produce seed. 



5. C. versicolor plumosus. (see Plate 11, Fig. 7.) was 

 raised from seed in my garden at North Mimms ; it is by far 

 the most beautiful variety of the species which I am acquainted 

 with. It blossoms late. The leaves are at first short, becom- 

 ing afterwards long, they are broad, grow upright, and remain 

 green late. The tube of the flowers is marked at the top with 

 purple lines ; the outer petals have one broad deep purple 

 stripe, divided by two white lines ; the stripe is very deeply 

 and distinctly feathered, extending itself quite to the edges ; 

 the inner petals are shorter than the outer, with three paler 

 feathered marks spreading over a pale ground, and are whitish 

 at the bottom. The insides of the petals are very beautiful, 

 for though the featherings on them are not bright, nor dis- 



