il i
scarcely half the length, cuneate, convolute, erect, of an
olive colour towards the base, ground white above, and
spotted with violet, 3-lobed at the top, the lateral ones
broad and rounded, with entire wavy margins, the intermediate
one longer, linear, pointed, reflexed. Filaments 3,
white, united into a cylindrical column, about a nail in
length. Anthers adpressed to the back of the stigmata,
linear, mucronate, with two adnate parallel cells, which are
free and slightly divaricate at the base. Ovarium bluntly
3-sided, half an inch long, 3-celled, with three rows of
ovules in each cell. Stigmas 3, petaliform, ligulate, bilabiate,
cloven, with oblong semi-lunar connivent lobes, irregularly
repand and crenate at the outer edge, white and veiny, pale
blue, and glabrous at the base, the outer lip very short,
truncate with 2 teeth.
This very elegant variety, which is not surpassed in
beauty by any of its congeners, has been regarded as a species
by De Candolle, Sprengel, and others, but we caii perceive
no difference, except colour, whereby to distinguish it
from tricuspis, to which in our opinion it has been very properly
united by Jacquin, Thunberg, and Ker. Colour,
which in many exogenous families is almost a certain indication
of a specific distinction, will be found a very fallacious
character among the Irideæ, and we fear that many
botanists, both ancient and modern, have been led to multiply
species among the Monocotyledones by relying on this
deceitful test. We are satisfied that a careful investigation
will considerably reduce the species, of most of the larger
genera, in the latter class.
It is a mistake to suppose that to cultivate the Cape
Irideæ a greenhouse is necessary, all that they require is
protection from frost, and this can be best done by a frame,
which may be removed entirely in fine weather. A warm
sunny border should be selected for their culture, and the
earth removed to the depth of a foot or 18 inches, and replaced
by a mixture of vegetable mould and river sand.
The bulbs should be taken up in the Autumn, and replanted
about the middle of January, the larger ones being carefully
selected from the rest. The earth will require to be renewed
every two or three years.
Our drawing was taken at Colvill’s Nursery, in May last.
The genus was named by Philip Miller after Mr. Robert
More of Shrewsbury, a zealous cultivator of rare plants,
and originally written ikforea. We have however, followed
the orthography of Linnasus, who probably intended by it
to commemorate his wife, whose name was Moræus, but
who, from all accounts, appears to have illmerited this compliment
on the part of the husband. D. Don.
1. Outer segment o f perianthiam. 2. Inner ditto. 3. Organs o f reproduction.
a