succulent, obtuse, bluntly keeled at the back, of a greenish
yellow with brown points : inner ones petal-like, spathulate,
spreading at the points, of a light yellow with an elegant
brownish purple spot, a little below the point, one of them
rather narrower, with a shallow notch at the end: upper flowers
as well as the scape of a brilliant light blue before expansion.
Stamens 6, inserted in the base of the segments : Jilaments
smooth, ascending, about the length of the outer segments,
attached to the back of the anthers: pollen yellow. Ovarium
smooth, green, oblong, six-furrowed. Style smooth, about
the length of the stamens, the point ascending. Stigma a
small simple point.
Our drawing of this curious species, was taken from
bulbs that flowered at the Nursery of Mr. Colvill, at Chelsea,
and were imported from the Cape by Mr. Synnot, at the
same time as the numerous other rare Cape bulbs, that
were introduced by him, several of which we have already
published in our preceding Numbers.
The present genus contains numerous handsome species,
but a great many of them frequently disappear from the
different collections; we believe the reason of this is chiefly
owing to the bulbs being exposed to the heavy rains after
flowering, and being grown in pots they sometimes become
sodden; and as the bulbs are very succulent, and scarcely
any of them being covered with a dry scaly bark for protection,
(so different from most other bulbs,) this causes them
frequently to rot: the better method of treatment would be
to take them out of the ground as soon as they have lost
their foliage, and keep them dry in as cool a place as possible,
that they may not begin to grow too soon; by this
mode of treatment they may be either planted in a warm
border in Spring, or in pots in a frame or greenhouse: we
have always observed that dry imported roots from the Cape,
flower much finer, than ever they do after.
The generic name was given in compliment to Wernerus
De Lachenal, of Switzerland, who published some observations
on medical botany at Basle, in 1776.
1. Flower laid open, to show the insertion o f the Stamens, and unequal segments o f
the Perianthium. 2. Ovarium terminated by the S ty le and minute Stigma.