Refugium Botanicum.] [Septenber, 1869. 
TAB. 165. 
Natural Order IRIDACEz. 
Genus Lrsertia (Spreng. Syst. Veg. i. p. 168). Perianthium 6-phyllum, 
laciniis patentibus obtusis, exterioribus minoribus. Stamina 3, 
limbi imo inserta, antheris ovatis, versatilibus. Ovarium trigonum, 
triloculare, ovulis plurimis biseriatis, stigmatibus 3, filiformibus. 
Capsula obovata, loculicide trivalvis. Semina plurima, angulata. 
Herbe foliis rigidis equitantibus, floribus albis paniculatis, ramis 
umbellatis, 
L. rx1owes (Spreng. loc. cit.) lata, foliis rigidis anguste linearibus 
nervo medio lato complanato, margine distincte brunneo, scapis 
foliis pene equantibus, superne paniculatis ramis umbellatis, um- 
bellis 2—10-floris, perianthii foliis exterioribus albis oblongis ob- 
tusis, interioribus late ovatis duplo brevioribus subviridibus apice 
ciliatis.—Hook. fil. New Zealand Flora, i. p. 252. 
A native of New Zealand. 
Stems copiously produced from a short creeping rhizome with 
fibrous roots. Leaves in dense subdistichous tufts with the 
flowering-stem from the centre, rush-like in texture, erect, nar- 
row-linear, a foot or more long, a quarter of an inch broad, with 
numerous fine parallel raised veins, the edge cartilaginous, 
entire, abruptly brown, the midrib broad, thick, flat and paler 
than the rest, the upper third narrowed gradually to a point. 
Flowering-stems firm, erect, about equalling the leaves, the 
flowers in copious panicles with erecto-patent umbellate branches. 
Bracts narrow-linear, the lowest above an inch long. Pedicels 
six to eight lines long, pinkish, articulated at the apex. Flowers 
two to ten in an umbel, generally about six. Perianth-tube obovoid, 
green, two to three lines deep, the limb cut down to the base, the 
inner divisions oblong, obtuse, pure white, four lines deep, 
spreading almost horizontally when fully expanded, the outer 
ones more herbaceous and not more than half as long. Filaments 
slightly connate at the base. Capsule obovoid, three-eighths to 
half an inch deep, the subtriquetrous seeds copiously biseriate in 
the cells. 
Tab. 165.—1, portion of leaf; 2, front view of flower; 3, pistil and 
stamens; 4, single stamen: all magnified.—J. G. B. 

A neat and pretty species of Libertia, flowering and seeding 
very freely. It thrives in a mixture of loam and peat, and 
requires the protection only of a cold frame in the winter. I 
obtained my plants some years since from Messrs. Maule & Son, 
of Bristol —W. VW. S. 
