MARICA CORRULEA. | 
Large blue-flowered Marica. 
rs a2 Om 
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TRIANDRIA MONOGYN IA. Nat. Orp. IRIDER. 
Gen. Cuar.—Cor. 6-par tita, laciniis alternis, minoribus. ernie 3, peta 
loidea, Stamina ot m stigmatibus alterna.—SPRENG, | 
Marica coerulea : foliis aj aethns oe ee scapo atte. multi- 
floro, laciniis corollze exterioribus rotundato-ellipticis patentibus. 
Marica coerulea, Bot. Reg. t. Vi 13. —SPRENG. Sp. Pl. v. i. p. 165. 
Root of many strong, branching fibres, bearing several shoots. Leaves all 
radical, equitant, ensiform, with the margins membranaceous, and a 
strong central rib. Scape flat, much resembling the leaves, and termi- 
nating in a bivalved spatha, from which proceed 3 or more peduncles, 
each again crowned with a partial bivalved spatha, and including seve- 
ral flowers, which open in succession. The valves of the general spatha 
are unequal, and open at the apex; the partial ones are os —2; in 
length, and about as long as the angular pedicels. 
Con ‘olla superior, 6-cleft, alternate and outer segments large, C4, ellip- 
tical, mucronate, spreading, concave ; the inner ones much smaller, 
spreading below, then bent inwards, and in the upper half : revolute. 
The lower third of the limb of the corolla forms a shallow cuy >, which 
is pubescent, transversely variegated with brown and yellow within, 
yellow without; the remainder of the limb 1s glabrous; the colour of 
the segments a beautiful ultramarine blue, the smaller ones with oblique 
veins of white. The pubescence above alluded to has : a frosted appear- 
ance. It discharges a transparent fluid, and aneyeers as soon as touch- 
ed. \ 
Filaments of the stamens erect, opposite to the larger opunnige of the co- 
- rolla, thin, flat, with a prominent keel on the outside, white, purple and 
dilated at the base, and inserted into the base of the corolla: Anthers 
half the length of the filament, of two dark purple lateral cells. Pollen 
| greenish-yellow. 7 
Pistil: germen obtusely triahgulor, g-celled, with. numerous ovules attach- 
ed to the inner angle of the cells; style clavate, tricarinate, reddish- 
purple ; stigmas 3, petaloid, cleft at the apex, so as greatly to resemble 
a personate corolla, compressed, the edges turned outwards, and insert- 
ed between the cells of the anthers, =— 1 grea os and thus sup- 
VOL. iit. 
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