very short and small, ligulate, veined, 3-toothed at the point •
the teeth short, middle one rather longest and acuminate’
Stamens 3, inserted in the tu b e ; filaments smooth, rather
succulent, a little flattened: anthers linear. S tyle
smooth, triangular. Stigmas 3, sometimes increased to 4,
petal-form, of a blue purple, hollow underneath, and 1-toothed
on each side at the base, ribbed and furrowed on the
upper side, through the centre, bifid at the point; the segments
broadly lanceolate and tapering to a point.
Our drawing of this handsome and singular species was
made in July last, at the Nursery of Messrs. Whitley,
Brames, and Milne, at Fulham, and we observed it still
continued to produce flowers the beginning of October. It
is readily distinguished from all the other species, by the
three inner segments of the perianthium being very small
and three-toothed at the point. We have preferred the name
ot mdentata, as much more appropriate and expressive
than that of tripétala, which has otherwise the right of priority.
It IS a native of North America, and has not been
long introduced, so that at present it is rather a scarce
p lan t; and the greatest quantity that we have seen of it is at
the Nursery of Messrs. Whitley and Co. I t thrives well in
the open border of the garden, and is pretty readily increased
by dividing at the root.
The genus is named from ipig, the rainbow, from the various
colours of the flowers in the genus.
3 the three small leaflets that are
I S M e f Th ‘I'« Stamens between them. 2. Ovarium!
the base o f ¿ a lh!