CLASS VI. ORDER I.
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Six Chives. One Pointai.
G E N E R I C
C A L Y X nullus.
C O R O L L A . rétala fex, lanceolata, infra medium
erecta, fupra medium p a t c n ü a , pertiftcntia,
colorem d e m i t t e n t i a.
S T A M I N A . Filaments lex, erecta, alterna bafi
d i l a t a t a , corolla breviora. Anthera: fi rapuces.
R t m u D K . Germen nngulatum. Stylus fubu
l a t u s , perfiflens. Stigma obtufum.
F E U I C A R P I U M . Capfula fubrotuuda, angula ta,
trilocularis, tri val via.
S E M I N A p l a t a , fubrotunda.
O B S . Filamenta in aliis plana, erecta, alterna
ápice trífido, media lacinia a n t h era r um
f u f ü n e n t e ; in aliis alterna, fimplicia.
CHARACTER.
E M P A L E M E N T none.
BLOSSOM. Petals fix, lance-fhaped, below the
middle u p r i g h t , above t h e middle fpreading,
remaining, lofing their colour.
C H I V E S . Six threads upright, each alternate
one widening at t h e bafe, fhortcr than the
bloubm. Tips fimple.
P O I N T A L . Seed-bud angular. Shaft awl-fhaped,
remaining. Summit blunt.
SEED-VKSSEL. Capfnle roundifh, angular, t h r e e -
celled, three-valved.
SEEDS many, roundiih.
O B S . The threads infome are flat and upright,
the alternate ones tri fid a t top, the middle
fegment fupporting the t i p ; in others the
a l t e r n a t e ones are fimple.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R.
O r n i t h o g a l um racemo e l o n g a t o ; filamentis fubu
l a t i s ; petalis lanceolatis, obtufis, apice
callofo-inflexis; folüs deprefiis, linearibus,
plañís.
Star of Bethlehem with the bunch of flowers
l e n g t h e n e d ; threads awl-fhaped; petals
lance-fliaped, blunt, thick, and turned i n wards
at t h e p o i n t ; leaves bent downward,
linear, and fmooth.
R E F E R E N C E T O T H E P L A T E .
1. A Flower prop.
2. The Chives and Pointal, t h e petals b e i n g removed
3. T h e Pointal.
4. T h e fame, magnified.
T H I S fpecies of Star of Bethlehem, from the Cape of Good Hope, is a rival in fragrance to the greatflowered,
or Arabian fpecies, to which it is much affined in every part but t h e colour of the blolfom;
which, iu this, is y e l l o w i m , a n d in t h a t , it is w h i t e with a d a r k eye. It i s r a t h e r a delicate b u l b ; a nd
to make it flower, fliould be kept in the hot-houfe, where, it will blolfom about May or J u n e . Our
d r a w i n g was made from a plant which had been received, from the Cape, by M r . Hibbert, the p r e ceding
year, 1800; and we much fear, w h a t h a s b e e n faid of the great-flowered fpecies, may b e confidered
as referential alfo to t h i s ; viz. t h a t the bulbs never flower, but the firft year after importation.
We have not been able to trace t h e appearance of a flower, from any of the bulbs, this year, which
has led us to this conjecture; indeed, many of the fpecies of this genus have this character; more
p a r t i c u l a i l y , thofe from Africa.
I t has flowered at Vienna, a n d h a s b e e n figured by Profeflor J a c q u i n in his I c . P l a n t , r a r . vol. i i .
t a b . 432.
O R N I T I I O G A L U M O D O R A T U M.
Sweet-fcented Star of Bethlehem.