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NARCI S SUS biflorus.
Pale Narcijfus, or Primrofe peerlefs.
H E X A N D R I A Monogynia.
Gen. Char. Petals 6, equal. NeEiary funnel-fhaped,
of one leaf, containing the Jlamina.
Spec. Char. Spatha two-flowered. Cup of the
neftary very Ihort, wheel-fhaped, filmy, crenate.
Leaves acutely carinated, with an inflexed margin.
Syn. Narciflus biflorus. Curt. Bot. Mag. t. 19 7 .
N . poeticus. Hudf. F I. An. 1 4 1 . With. Bot. A rr. 3 4 1,
N . medio luteus vulgaris. K a li Syn. 3 7 1 .
T h i s wild fpecimen was gathered by Mr. Rayer with
the preceding on a rabbit warren at Shorne. Ray fufpefted
it not to have been originally a native, but we fee no reafon
why it fhould not. At leafl it is now perfectly naturalized,
though perhaps not found in fo many fituations of undoubted
wildnefs as the poeticus. Mr. Curtis has well aflerted it to be
a diftinct fpecies from that and his angujlifolius, and we beg
leave to add to his remarks that the leaves of the biflorus have
an inflexed margin, not a reflexed one as in poeticus, and a
fection of their keel forms an angle, not a fegment of a circle,
fo that they may properly be called acutely carinated, though
the keel itfelf being formed of two parallel lines, is externally
flat. The nectary is bordered with white only, not red, and
the anthera are linear. The fpatha bears fometimes 3 flowers,
rarely but one. The petals are buff-coloured, not pure white,
;md it generally flowers earlier than N. poeticus, though we
Received them both in perfection together in the end of May.
The root of each is a folid bulb, which is emetic and dangerous.
N. biflorus is fragrant, but the fmell if continue^
becomes unpleafant.