9 
HcXASUfttA Linn.«i. 
j A c O B /E A N AMARYLLIS. 
A M R V L L 1 S F O R M O S 1 S S I M A. 
, T TE r^civ’J firft from Sooth Amer.c. this pride ond glory of tire bulbous Clafs. 
W though of Asurrc origin, differ'd in notlung Irom the ufual Plant cx- 
’ ▼ Mine, tno o n^rrnsver and of a lels hrm fuoftance. I need not 
cept that the L^ves Hexandrous’clafs conrprizes moft of the bulbous Plants; 
generally croon’d with fpecious Flowers : This has enjoy’d the hrft praife 
irto ■ and'fancy Js the only judge, whether or not the next excels tt. 
The Leaves are flelhv, but not firm : The Stalk is thick ; and what is very fingular, ’tis 
often white, or tranfpamnt toward the ground, though it gives nour.lhment to thts h.gh- 
colour’d Flower. The change which gives that glowing colour is made higher. 
The Flower burfts from a filmy Scabbard; and with its weight often bends the Stalk. 
The difpofition of the Petals, one upright, two fideways. and three downward, is replar 
and effential in the Plant : and the bending of the lower Petals, by which they embrace 
the Filaments towards the bottom, is yet more fingular. 
The fix Filaments difeover the Plant to be of this hexandrous Clafs ; the fixth in order 
in the Sexual Syftem : and the charadler of that Clafs cannot be more ftrongly mark’d in 
any Flower. The Anther.e, or Buttons, which crown the Filaments, are at firfl: long 
and white ; afterwards (hotter and yellow. It is a change frequent in the Anthera of other 
Flowers ; but here they are fo large that ’tis eafy to fee how it is brought about. The 
Plant will flower upon a (helf; and it may therefore be familiarly obferv’d. 
The .Anthers at their firfl appearance are furrow’d lengthwife, and are white. Each is 
compos’d of two Tubes join’d on their inner part ; and each has a groove outward along 
the middle. If an Anthera be cut tranfverfely, thefe two Tubes are plainly feen ; and they 
are fill’d with a yellow powder, the Farina. After a Time they burfl : the Opening be- 
gins at one end of each Tube, and in the Groove. As they fplit farther up, the two Sides 
turn back, and the Tubes contract themfelves, and become (horter. This makes their 
change of (hape : the yellow colour is owing to the Farina covering them. 
The other parts of impregnation are as confpicuous in this vafl Flower. The Stigma, or 
Top of the Style is cover’d with cryflalline Clubs, and open Tubes, and is always w'et 
with a glutinous clear humour, ferving to detain and burfl the grains of Farina. 
There are alfo fix nedaria in the Bafe of the Flower, of a very curious and peculiar 
ftruflure, folid at their Bottom, and branch’d upwards in the manner of white coral. 
Thefe parts I firfl obferv’d in that Species Amaryllis, figur’d in a fmall work, entitled, 
OcTLiNEs OF Vegetable Generation, publifli’d a few months fince. Linn.(EUs had 
overlook’d them. I am happy to find them alfo in this Plant, which is a Species of the 
(ame Genus. Different Obfervations thus confirm each other. 
Arr.arjUis Spatha uniflora, corolla inzquali, petalis iribus, gCDitalibusque dccjinatii. 
Jacobaran Lilly. 
.'a:. 2. / 
