158 
-_ORNITHOGALUM prasinum. 
Pea-green flowered Cape Stur-of-Bethlehem. 
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. Aspnopert. Jussieu gen. 53. 
Div. IV. Flores spicati. Radix bulbosa. Corolla sexpartita, basi 
staminifera. 
ORNITHOGALUM. Infor. racemosa, bracteatim distincta. 
Cal. 0. Cor. infera, regularis, subzqualis, patentissima, emarcido- 
persistens; rar) connivens; nungquam carulea aut rubra. il. erecto+ 
patentia, subulata, basi szpé dilatata, alterné Jatiora, Séylus erectus 
subnullus v. brevis v. setaceo-elongatus. Stigma obtusum vy. capitato- — 
trilobum. Caps. membranacea, oblonga v. ovata, trilobo-trigona, rarits 
hexagona, lobis modd compressis, 3-loc., 3-valy. valvis medio septiferis. 
Sem. numerosa in angulo interno loculamenti singuli biseriata, globosa 
sepils angulosé pressa, raritis compresso-paleacea ; tésta nigricans. 
Bulbus tunicatus. . Folia 1-plurima, carnosula, ambientia, ra- 
dicalia. Scapus simpler. Racemus spicatim productus, vel corymbosus. 
Bractex solitarie. ScituA dignoscendum tantummodd ob flores nun- 
quam carulescentes neque rubentes. Differt DrimiA 0b corollam 
non inferne conniventem in tubum, et bulbum compactits tunicatum. 
O. prasinum, foliis glauciusculis, supra tortis; racemo divaricato, longé 
pedunculato; filamentis basi ovatis: stylo longiore germine. 
Bulbus ovatus, integumentis subfuscis. Folia plurima (4-9) erecto-patentia, 
subpedalia, lorato-attenuata, involuto-concava, cuspidata. Scapus glaucius- 
culus, excedens folia, teres. Racemus oblongus, laxus, patentissimus ;\ pe- 
dunculis strictis, 2-3-plo longioribus corolla: bracteis membranosis, lanceolatis. 
Cor. horizontem respiciens, stellato-patens, unciam pené transversa, glauco- 
virens, inodora: lac. subcequales, oblonga, obtuse, vix 2 lineas late, exte- 
riores sublatiores depressiores concaviuscule apice inflexe, interiores planiores 
apice glanduloso-albicantes, versus basin utrinque deflece. Fil. % parte breviora 
laciniis, alba, ovato-subulata, plana, alterna bast ventricosiora : anth. breves, 
lutea, incumbentes. Germ. virens, ellipticum, 3-lobum, strid per dorsum 
cujusque lobi ducta, et nervo prominulo an sulco singulo lobos interciptente s, 
stylus ¢ristriato-setaceus, longior germine, albus, apiculo stigmatoso pubescente 
exsuperante stamina. 
The boundary which separates OrnrrHocaAtum from 
Scriza, as these genera have been handed down to us, de- 
pends upon a feature usually considered the least charac-. 
teristic of any among vegetables, viz. the colour of the 
flower. There seems to be an understanding among bota- 
nists that no blue or red flower can belong to OrniTHoGa- 
iym, which genus has become the receptacle of the plants 
with any other coloured flower, that would else fall as con- 
