102 
AMARYLLIDACEA2. 
ledge is in many respects imperfect, and the variability of 
the species renders their arrangement very difficult. It is 
possible that the whole seventh section may upon more 
intimate acquaintance be considered as local varieties of angus- 
tifolia, a point of little importance, as they are placed together 
under one head, and would retain the same names as subor- 
dinate, if that were the case. I do not, however, believe that 
it will be so found, for neither did the many seedlings which 
were raised of Cummingiana, nor the garden seedlings of 
Hookeri, vary in the aspect of the stalk and foliage. Being 
chiefly natives of Alpine situations, these beautiful plants 
require free air, and (with the exception of Caryophyllaea 
amongst those we possess) very little protection, except from 
severe frost. A. Hookeri planted in front of one of my stoves 
formed a large patch, the foliage resisting all frost in that 
situation, and flowered throughout the summer ; but the two 
last dry summers have greatly reduced it. They are very 
thirsty plants in the season of their growth, and should be 
abundantly watered in dry weather at that time. I appre- 
hend that the singular circumstance mentioned by Poepipg, 
of his finding A. haemantha growing promiscuously of every 
shade of vermilion, orange, yellow, sulphur, and white, arose 
from the vicinity of the two plants mentioned by Ruiz, the 
vermilion and the white variety having bred together, and 
their intermediate produce again with either parent. I do 
not believe that we shall be able to produce the same result 
even by garden cultivation and sowing the seed of the 
vermilion plant, without first obtaining a white variety to 
cross with the vermilion. The known variability of the 
genus, however, the white peregrina and the beautiful two- 
coloured variety of pulchra which have been raised in 
England, afford a great encouragement to cultivators. It is 
very remarkable that the stigma of Alstroemeria does not 
come to perfection till after the decay of its anthers. The 
stamens advance successively like those of Nerine undulata, 
and like them nod before they rise, the petaline filaments 
taking the lead, but the two upper not simultaneously with 
the lower. It results from this that the stigma must either 
be fertilized by the pollen of another flower, or that its own 
scattered pollen must be efficient after it seems to be dried 
up and lost ; in either case there is a greater probability of 
the intrusion of the pollen of another individual, than when 
the stigma and anthers are mature at the same time. 
