I: 11
IF'?
s p u r , d ire c te d fo rw a rd s . Stamens 6 , n e a r ly e q u a l, a n d a b o u t as lo n g
as th e p e ria n th ium . Filaments aw l-sh a p e d , w h ite 1 ^ J Y V X a itC,, Vc.o/Un1 1n1HivVCe1n1 1t tatLt tLhI lec
base, copiously c lo th ed w ith s h o r t p ap illo se h a ir s . Anthers olive-
g re e n , th ic k ly d o tte d w ith b row n -p u rp le , co rd a te -o b lo n g , e re c t, in s
e rte d by th e em a rg in a te base, 2 -c e lled , th e cells p a r a lle l, o p e n in g
le n g thw a y s a n d in te rio rly , th e co n n e c tiv um te rm in a tin g in a sh o rt
o 11 1 .1 ■ 1 7 ■ . 7 ------ ; ------------ ¡ r i i d u i c u s . yjvw r ium
d -c e lled , 3 -sid ed , w ith th e v a lves septiferous a t th e c e n tre . Ovula
m a n y in e a c h cell, a n d a r ra n g e d in a d o u b le se ries, obov a te , v e n tr icose,
smooth. Style filiform, p u rp le , slig h tly a tte n u a te d tow a rd s th e
to p , lo n g e r th a n th e o v a rm m . Stigma a n a b ru p t, p ap illo se d o t.
T h is cu rio u s p la n t, c o n s titu tin g one o f th e m o st r em a rk a b le g e n e ra
o f th e wh o le fam ily to w h ic h it belo n g s, w a s disco v e red by M . K a re -
h n e in th e steppes o r d e s e rts o f th e In d e rs k y Se a , o n th e so u th e rn
p a r t o f th e U r a l, a n d c om m u n ic a ted by h im to D r . F is c h e r o f th e
Im p e ria l B o ta n ic G a rd e n a t St. P e te r s b u rg , w h en c e b u lb s were
tr a n sm itte d to o u r w o rth y frie n d M r . A n d e rso n o f th e C h e ls e a B o ta
n ic G a rd e n , w h e re th e p la n t flowered in J a n u a ry la s t. F rom its
lo c a lity , it will n o d o u b t p ro v e p e rfe c tly h a r d y in o u r c lim a te , b u t
b e in g still e x trem e ly r a re , M r . A n d e rso n h a s h ith e r to v e ry ju d ic io u s ly
k e p t it in a p it a lo n g w ith o th e r m o re te n d e r b u lb o u s ro o ted p la n ts .
I n h a b it it is n o t u n lik e sm a ll spe c imen s o f Fritillaria pyrenaica,
a n d its b u lb s ex a c tly re sem b le th o se o f th a t p la n t. A soil composed
o f e q u a l p a r ts of sa n d y p e a t a n d lo am a p p e a r s to be we ll su ited for it.
T h e g en u s possesses th e n e c ta rife ro u s p its fo u n d a t th e base o f th e
sepals in Fritillaria, Calochortus a n d Cyclahothra, b u t th e a lm o s t
filiform style, p e rfe c tly u n d iv id e d s tigm a , a n d ro u n d e d o v u la , essentia
lly d istin g u ish It from th o se , as well a s from ev e ry o th e r g e n u s o f
th e fam ily , a n d w o u ld seem to p o in t o u t a close re la tio n sh ip be tw e en
th e Liliaceo! p ro p e r a n d Asphodelece,
T h e g e n e ric n am e re fe rs to th e sp u r-lik e p rocess a t th e base o f th e
u p p e r se p a l, a n d is com p o u n d ed o f piv fivoQ a nose , a n d •KeraXor a p e ta l.
D. Don. ^
ym
'i 1i. 'V I
AM
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f t £ I 11
1. Stamen. 2. Pistil. 3. Section of the Ovarium.
rv:it 111 ¡: -.if
I ‘1I "ii/l III
I i G- ii