AM ARYLLIDACEiE. 
203 
The name Pancratium indicates that the bulb was sup- 
posed by the Greeks to be of universal efficacy in medicinal 
application. The Pancratium of Clusius appears to be Scilla 
maritima, and it is very probable that Pliny intended to de- 
signate the same plant ; this however is certain that the name 
belongs to a maritime European bulb ; and amongst the 
plants to which it has been attached by later botanists, P. 
maritimum, the seaside European species, must be considered 
as the type of the genus. It is evident that the American 
plants which have been confounded with it, cannot be per- 
mitted to usurp the name. Whether or not the three sec- 
tions, into which I have divided the genus, are several genera, 
I cannot decide without further knowledge of the plants, and 
some better assurance than the assertion of Rheede, who is 
not always correct, concerning the fruit of the Asiatic species. 
I have found the scape of maritimum and Illyricum to be 
solid, that of Illyricum being a little hollow near the summit. 
The scape of the other species has not been examined, but I 
have seen no plant of this order with a staminiferous cup and 
hollow scape. The scape of Illyricum in this respect ap- 
proximates to the Narcissese, in which the fistular cavity is 
more or less filled up in different species. 
1. Maritimum has acute glaucous leaves of a hard tex- 
ture, and sheathing at their base. The representation of the 
plant in the Bot. Reg. is very bad, and the cup quite out of 
drawing. Even Clusius’s rough figure under the name of 
Hemerocallis Valentina is better. The plant is a native of 
the sea sand of the Mediterranean. I have two bulbs that 
were dug up by my lamented brother the Earl of Carnarvon 
on the coast of Ischia, and he told me that the sand where it 
grew was so hot when the sun shone powerfully, that he 
could not bear to keep his hand upon it. This circumstance 
marks the difficulty of cultivating it, as it enjoys an air at 
some times cool and temperate, a burning sand to the bulb 
at others, and perhaps the fibres may reach below the high 
water mark. I believe the best way of treating it is that re- 
commended long ago by Hill ; to set it out doors late in the 
spring, and at the latter part of the summer to bring it into 
the stove to flower, removing it afterwards into the green- 
house. When placed on a hot flue it requires frequent 
watering, and the leaves are soon scorched if it is neglected. 
2. Carolinianum. — I am rather inclined to consider this 
plant a variety of Maritimum, that is to say the distinguishing 
