HERBERTIA pulchella.
Plaited-leaved Plerbertia.
Natural Order. Iridea;. Brown prodr. \ . p. 902.
H E R B E R T IA . Perianthium corollaceum, sexpartitum; tubo
brevissimo : laciniis tribus interioribus multo minoribus. Stamina 3.
Filamenta connata. Anthera: lineares. Stigmata 3, lamin®formia,
bifida. Capsula oblonga, trilocularis, polysperma. Semina angulata.
—Herb® caulescentes. Radix bulbosa. Folia ensiformia v. linearia,
plicata, vaginantia. Flores terminales, spathacei, carulei.
H . pulchella, foliis lineari-ensiformibus utrinque acutis plicatis, pe-
rianthii laciniis basi tuberculato-barbatis.
Roof an oblong or flattened bulb, clothed with several
brown membranaceous shells. Leaves narrowly ensiform
or linear, plaited, acute, tapering towards the base, and
sheathing the stem, more or less glaucous, those on the
stem shorter and narrower. Stem slender, leafy, flexuose,
simple or divided, smooth, cylindrical. Spatha 2-valved,
the inner one much the longest, convolute, acute, with
membranaceous margins, enclosing the flowers before expansion.
Peduncles slender, cylindrical, inclosed in membranaceous
bractes. Plowers blue, tinged with purple, and
striped with white. Perianthium seated on the ovarium,
petal-like, deeply 6-parted, with scarcely any tube, the la-
cinise connected at the base; the three outer ones much the
largest, obovate, attenuated towards the base, spreading,
or slightly reflexed, striated with darker veins, and striped
with white a little above the base, bearded below the white
stripe with numerous dark blue tubercles, the upper part
smooth and glossy: three inner lacinias very small, erect,
lanceolately spathulate, also striate, purple, tuberculate towards
the base, but less so than the outer ones. Stamens 3,
the filaments connected into a tube the length of the style,
G 2