■200 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
Amaryllis Avlica V. Platypztjll.v. 
bold separation between the Amaryllis of Africa and 
those of America, renaming the Western group Hippe- 
astrum, the Equestrian Star, the justification for which 
will be found at page 144 (et. seq.) of his treatise on the 
Am aryllidaceas. The distinction is not geographical 
met ely, but is founded on minute details of structure 
and the order of the leafing. „ 
It is proper here to say that to Dean Herbert we are 
not solely indebted for scientific knowledge of the 
Amaryllis. Of the labors of the professicnal botanists it 
is not needful to speak in a special manner, because we 
must refer to them again and again in the treatment of 
a subject of this kind. But at tliis point I feel bound to 
mention that, concurrently with the study of these 
plants by Dean Herbert, they were collected and culti- 
% vated -with spirit and discretion by Mr. Griffin, of South 
Lambeth, to whom the Botanical Register was often 
indebted for figures of the more characteristic species. 
Mr. Ker named the pseudo-genus Grilfinia in honor of 
his gentleman. 
In a few of the references tiled it will l:ave been 
noticed that the Amaryllis has been at one time desig¬ 
nated a Narcissus and at another time a Lily, and again 
the compound term Lilio-narcissus has been used. The 
distinction between a true Amaryllis and a true Lily 
rests on the position of the ovary. For the casual ob¬ 
server—or say, for a visitor to the flower show—there 
are some obvious distinctions that will be found cf ser¬ 
vice. The Lilies have leafy flower stems without 
spathes ; the Amaryllis have naked flower stems, and 
the flowers spring from a spathe such as Parkinson 
would describe as a “ skinny husk.” But these dis¬ 
tinctions have no scientific value, as the orders are at 
present defined, for the exceptions would not prove the 
rule : they would destroy it. 
To give an account of the several species would need¬ 
lessly prolong this discourse. But a certain number 
must be referred to because of their importance as culti¬ 
vated pilants. One of the earliest and most distinct is 
Amaryllis Regime, which was flowered by Fairchild, of 
