LI 
ORTHROSANTHUS wmultiflorus. 
Many-flowered Morning-flower. 
—~Ir— — 
Linnean Class and Order. TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. IRIDEA®, Brown prodr. 302. 
ORTHROSANTHUS, Spatha multiflora bivalvis carinata, margine scariosa mem- 
branacea. Perianthium petaloideum, hypocrateriforme: tubo brevissimo triangulari: 
limbo sexpartito, laciniis aqualibus. Stamina3, filamenta infra connata, basi lacinia- 
rum exteriorum inserta, Stigmata 3, filiformia, basi dilatata, apice obtusa, fimbriata. 
Capsula oblonga, trigona, Semina numerosa, 
0. sn foliis lineari-ensiformibus striatis glabris, scapo ramoso, spathis multi- 
ors. 
A close tufted perennial herbaceous plant, producing nume- 
rous offsets or suckers at the base, which are furnished with short 
fleshy roots above the ground. eaves numerous, distichous, li- 
nearly ensiform, acute, smooth, slightly glaucous, striated with nu- 
merous small longitudinal lines, sheathing at the base, where the 
margins are membranaceous, from 6 to 15 inches long, and about 
5 lines broad. Scapeabout the length of the leaves, alittle branch- 
ed, nearly cylindrical or a little flattened, flexuose between the 
flowers, smooth and glossy. Spatha 2-valved, the valves ovate, 
sharply keeled, striate, with membranaceous points and margins, 
enclosing several flowers. Jlowers of a bright azure blue, only 
one from each spathe expanding at once, but several open- 
ing for many days in succession, each sheathed at the base by a 
membranaceous bracte, and all enclosed in the spathe, before the 
flowers expansion. Perianthium petal like, with a short blunt- 
ly triangular fleshy tube, and a salver shaped spreading 6-parted 
regular limb: lacinie of the limb equal in size, ovate, striated, 
overlapping each other at the edges. Stamens 3, erect: fila- 
ments blue, smooth, slightly connected at the base, and inserted 
in the base of the outer lacinize, and decurrent down the tube: 
anthers linear, erect, two-lobed, divided at the base: pollen 
