mens 3 ; filaments united all their length in a long tuhe,
which encloses the Style: anthers 2-lobed, joined by
their back to the filaments, the lobes nearly erect, and
approximating each other before they burst, but distinct
at the base; when burst, the lobes spread apart at
the base, and the anther is then heart-shaped: pollen
yellow. Germen triangular. Style smooth, about the
length of the stamens. Stigmas 3, each terminated
with a pencil-like tuft of bristle-like segments, which
are more or less branched, darkest at the base, the points
of a glossy brownish yellow.
This curious little species of Ferraria is one of those
already mentioned by us as having been lately introduced
by Mr. Synnot from the Cape, and has flowered
at the Nursery of Mr. Colvill, where our drawing was
made in May la st; it is a very neat little plant, and
produces its flowers in succession for several days,
thriving well in a mixture of light loam, peat, and sand,
like the other Cape bulbs to which it is related; the
same sort of soil is the most suitable for making beds
for them, either in the open borders, or in pits to be
covered with lights in Winter, the beds in the open air
to be raised above the common level of the ground, and
to be a little sloped on each side, that the bulbs may
not rot, if there should be an over abundance of wet
weather; as soon as they have done flowering, and the
stalks are beginning to decay, those in the open ground
must be taken up and laid to dry, out of the reach of
frost, until the following Spring; or if left in the ground
all the Winter, they will require covering with straw or
fern, or some other sort of covering, in frosty weather,
as the frost, if severe, will rot their roots : those planted
in pits, with lights on them, will be safe to remain
where they are, so as to be well covered in frosty weather,
and to be exposed as much as possible to the air
when the weather is mild; but care must be taken to
keep the mice from them, or they will be apt to destroy
a great many.
1. One o f the la rg e st segments o f th e P e rian th ium . 2 . The smaller one.
3. The th re e Stamens, the filaments all connected into a tube a t the base with
spreading points. 4. Germen, te rm in a ted by a slen d e r Style , and 3 Stigmas
te rmin a ted by pencil-forra appendages.