with a white cartilaginous margin. Flowers oi' a crimson
purple at the base, the points green, spotted with
])urple. Pcrianlhium of 0 leaflets, scarcely united at
the base ; the three inner ones lanceolate and acute, or
a little acuminated ; the outer ones oblongly spathulate,
acute ; all attenuated to the base, keeled and veined at
the back, and channelled down the inside, the margins
slightly crenulate or uneven; the lower part of a crimson
purple, the upper part green, spotted witli numerous
short purple linear spots : upper outer leaflet rather
longest and broadest, tubular down the unguis, by the
sides being pressed inwards towards each other, fringed
with short fringe down the unguis : the two upper inner
ones also longer than the others, and fringed with long
Stitt’ fringe down the unguis, which is also tubular, as it
is in all except the lower one, which is flat all the way,
and shorter than any of the others, that and the two
lower side ones fringed only at the base. Stamens G,
shorter than the leaflets of the perianthium : Jilaments
pale red, smooth, inserted in the base of the anthers,
which are oblong, nearly ovate before bursting: poilen
ash-coloured. Style smooth, pale flesh-colour, about the
length of the stamens. Stigma 3-cleft, the segments at
first erect and connivent, afterwards spreading.
For the opportunity attbrded us of giving a figure o f the present
rare and splendid plant, we are obliged to the kindness of Robert
Barclay, Esq., of B u ry -H ill, who was so obliging as to send us a
fine specimen of it in full bloom. Mr. Cameron informs us that it is
growing in the open border in front of the houses, where it does better
than any of the other species, and has been a long time in bloom ;
the i)lant had been procured from Dr. Lehmann, through the kindness
of Mr. Hunnemann, this Spring, so that it is o f very late introduction.
In the sixth volume of Schulte’s Systema, there is a short description
of it copied from Leliinann’s cataloipie of the garden of Hamhiirgli,
but there is no account of where it is a native ; hut we are informed
hy Mr. Otto, the Curator of the Botanic Garden at Berlin, who saw
our specimen, that it is a native of Mexico, otherwise we should have
been inclined to believe the A., montícola of Martius to have been
scarcely different ; hut as that is a native of Brazil, they can hardly
he the same. W c lind the greater part, or all the species of this genus
from Mexico, Chile, and Peru, to thrive well in a warm border,
in the open air. A . hirtclla is now magnificently in flower with us,
the fourth season of its blooming without the least protection, except
a single mat thrown over in severe frost ; and A . Simsii has flowered
magnificently hy the side of it, and is ripening its seeds.
Tlie genus was named hy Linnæus, in compliment to liis friend,
Baron Claudius Alstroeiner, of Sweden ; who, in his travels through
Europe, had sent him many plants, amongst them seeds ol A . P elegrina
from Spain, to which country it had been introducedfrom Peru.
1.1.1. The three outer leaflets of tlie I’eriautirmiu, a Stamen affixed to the base
of ouch. 2.2.2. The three inner leaflets, all more or les.s friiigetl at the base.
3. Style terminated by the tliree Stigmas. 4. Sterile blanch.