Tab. 6276. 
DBIMIOPSIS Kirkii. 
Native of Zanzibar. 
Nat. Ord. Liliace^e. — Tribe Scille^e. 
Genus Drimiopsis, Lindl. {Balter in Journ. Linn. Soc., vol. xiii. p. 226). 
Drimiopsis Kir/tii , bulbo globose tunicis membranaceis albidis truncat 1 ' , folii 
6-8 lanceolatis subpedalibus pallide viridibus maculis copiosis satur ioril 
decoratis acutis ad basin vix petiolatiun longe angustatis, scapo s oped 
racemo angusto 8-4-pollieari floribus numerosis supremis abortivis, pedicel 3 
patulis brevissimis, bracteis abortivis, perianthii segmentis oblongis api e 
leviter cucullatis interioribus diu conniventibus, filamentis omnibus lan jeo. li- 
tis conformibus, stylo ovario aequilongo. 
D. Kirkii, Balter in Gard. Ghron., 1874, part 2, p. 644. 
In 1871 Dr. Kirk sent to Kew from Zanzibar bulbs of t T ( 
species of this curious and little-known genus. One of the t 
proved to be D . botryoides , which I described in the Linnsear 
Proceedings from a couple of poor specimens, without am 
locality, in the collection of the late Judge Blackburn, o 
Mauritius, and the other, the present plant. All the knowi 
species of the genus resemble one another very closely in 
habit and flower ; but there are two types of leaf, one with a 
distinct petiole and an oblong blade, after the fashion of a 
Eucharis or a Griffinia , a type of form very rare in Liliac ese, 
and the other with the blade narrowed gradually from the 
middle to both ends and not furnished with any distinct 
petiole. This is the first species of the latter group that has 
been brought into cultivation. It flowered at Kew first in 
July, 1873. 
Descr. Bulb globose, one and a half inch in diameter, with 
thin whitish truncate tunics. Leaves six to eight, cotempo- 
rary with the flowers, lanceolate, a foot long, one to one 
and a half inch broad above the middle, acute, narrowed 
gradually to the base, not distinctly petioled, very fleshy in 
texture, glabrous, pale green on the upper surface with 
large irregular blotches of dark green, still paler green beneath. 
