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148
FEIIRARIA obtusifolia.
Blunt leaved Ferraria.
N atural Order. Irideæ. Brown p r o d r .\. p. 3Q2.
F E R R A R IA . Spatha diphjlla. Perianthium 6-partitum
petaloideum ; laciniis undulato-crispis interioribus minoribus.
Stamina 3 ; filamenta in tnbum coalita, apice patentia ; antheree
bilobæ. Stigmata 3, penicilliformia. Capsula 3-locularis, infera.
—Radix tuberoso, glabro. Herbæ caulescentes, erecta, subramosa.
Folia ensiformia aut subsubulata, glaucescenlia, rigida.
Flores spathacei.
F. obtusifolia, caule erecto ramosissimo multifioro, foliis distichis
ensiformibus obtusis glaucis utrinque carinatis, lobis an-
theræ approximatis.
Root tuberous, smooth, not unlike a Potatoe. Stem
erect, smooth but glaucous, cylindrical, about 18 inches
in height, very much branched; the branches again
branching and crotvded. Sheaths at the base spotted
with small irregular spots of a brownish purple. Leaves
distichous, sheathing the stem at the base, ensiform, obtuse,
but terminated with a small point in the middle,
(not on one side as in some species,) sharply keeled from
the base to the point on both sides, and covered with
a glaucous gloss, w^hich easily rubs o ff: the leaves on
the middle of the stem are longest, as long as the stem,
upper ones becoming gradually shorter. Flowers numerous,
the spathes crowding each other. Spathe 2-valved,
ventricose, scarcely acute, striate with numerous small
lines, the margins membranaceous: upper one double
the length of the other: another membranaceous spathe
encloses the flower before expansion. Peduncle slender,
slightly triangular, enclosed in the spathe, about 2 inches
long. Perianthium deeply divided into 6 petal-like
segments, the 3 outer ones nearly double the size of the
others, reflexed from about the middle, the bases forming
a sort of bowl, below the bend striped with white and
purple, above the bend about half way to the point, of
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