HIPPEASTRUM FORGETII. 



73 



HIPPEASTEUM FOEGETII [SP. NOV.] 

 By A. WoESLEY, F.E.H.S. 



Salisbury's sub-genus Omphalissa is distinguished by the short 

 tube closed in by a distinct neck at the throat. It contains several 

 species, of which six have been described; of these all but Hippeastrum 

 Cyhister have been at some time fairly common in cultivation in 

 European gardens. H. aulicum, H. organ&nse, H. calyptratum, and 

 H. psittacinum .are widely distributed in South and Central Brazil, and 

 are, under some conditions, epiphytal in their habits. I have known 

 H. calyptratum and forms of H. orgayiense to cling to the bald sur- 

 face of the rock in the Organ mountains, and the latter species has 

 also been reported as growing on tree-stems in the forest regions. 

 Another section of this sub-genus comes from the high lands of 

 Peru and Bolivia, and is represented in our gardens by H. pardinum. 



It is with these upland western forms that the species I here 

 describe is allied. It is by no means a conspicuous or showy plant, 

 nor does it differ much in general aspect or coloration from the 

 ubiquitous H. rutilum, but it possesses in a very marked degree the 

 botanical characteristics of the sub-genus Omphalissa, Hence it 

 must be separated by botanists from all its nearest allies in colour 

 and general appearance, and be grouped with H. pardinum. 



From the forms of H. pardinum introduced into cultivation by 

 Messrs. Veitch and others between 1867 and 1883, it differs in a few 

 particulars, notably in the fact that the flowers are sub-vittate in 

 their coloration, and are unspotted, with generally narrower seg- 

 ments. But the distinctness of these characters disappears in certain 

 intermediate forms, which, however puzzling to classifiers, leave no 

 doubt of the alliance of H. Forgetii with H. pardinum. Nor can one 

 specific name be well extended to include all these forms, for H. par- 

 dinum is known to come true from seed and without casting any 

 undue number of variant seedlings. Hence it is probable that H. par- 

 dinum is a good species, and that the bulbs introduced into our 

 gardens were not merely spotted individuals belonging to a typically 

 unspotted species. Yet, on the other hand, colour-markings do not 

 constitute a specific trait, and it may be that the spotted forms 

 [pardinum) are but a variety of the immaculate forms (Forgetii), and 

 that the spotting is linked with some morphological changes. 



It is to Mr. Louis Forget that I am indebted, through the kindness 

 of Messrs. Sander & Sons, for the opportunity of growing and com- 

 paring plants of both these species from the same importation. Some 

 of the pardinum types carried fine flowers of the variety known as 

 H. pardinum tricolor, and bulbs of Urceolina aurea and U. miniata 

 were included in the same importation. The bulk of the Hip- 

 peastrums sent in this importation seem to have been unspotted, and 



