trees, and flowering in April or late in March. We are
induced to publish it as having an equal claim to admission
into the British Flora with Narcissus poeticus, Muscari
racemosum, and some other more common inhabitants, than
the present, of our gardens.
Root a few horizontal, obtuse, cylindrical, white tubers,
producing simple fibres from the point of divergence. Stem
round, smooth, about a foot high, one-flowered, surrounded
at the base by broad scariose sheaths, inclosing with it a
tuft of smooth, pale green, slender, flaccid leaves, each also
separately sheathed, which are much longer than the stem,
quadrangular, sharp-pointed, of a loosely cellular texture,
and increase in length and become trailing after the flowering
is past. Stem-leaves sheathing at the base, gradually
shorter; the uppermost scarcely more than a ventricose
sheath. Spath of two lanceolate sheathing leaves, unequal
in width, a little overtopping the expanded flower. Flower-
stalk inclosed, longer than the exposed, oblong, bluntly
triangular germen. Corolla funnel-shaped, tube cylindrical,
shorter than the germen : outer segments with a
broad obovate claw, three times as long as the germen,
pale green on the outside with purplish veins and a yellower
keel, and rather more tinged with dull purple within ; the
limb ovate, somewhat crenate, emarginate, pale purplish
green on the back, its upper surface of a velvety appearance
and dark lurid colour, almost black, varying, as it should
seem, with a more or less decided tinge of blue: inner
segments pale-green, very small, scarcely so long as the
stamens, keeled, narrowly lanceolate, with a long slender
curved point. Style short, triangular. Stigmas nearly
equalling the outer segments of the corolla; their upper
segments diverging, acuminate, crenate. Capsule three-
sided, pendulous. The seeds are said to be round and
white.
In habit this plant resembles a Moraea, and differs much
from the generality of the Irises.
We take occasion to correct an inaccuracy in the account
of Liilium Martagon, t. 2799. We were indebted for our specimens
to William Arnold Bromfield, Esq., M.D. only,
not to Mr. Borrer.