P L A T E CCXXL
W U R M B E A C A P E N S I S . n r . *
Cape Wurmbea. »•
C L A S S VI. ORDER ill.
HEXANDRI A TRIGYNIA. Six Chives. Three Pointais.
G E N E R I C C H A R A C T E R.
C A L Y X tuillus.
C O B O L L A m o n o p e t a l a , fexfida, infera ; l a c i n i is
l a n c e o l a t i s , • c o t i a , ercciís.
S T A M Í N A . F i l a m e n t a fex, filiforraia, e r e c t a , f3uci
corollae i n l e r t í e . Atunera,- erecta,', d i d y m a\
PlSTlLLA. Germen t r i q u e t r u n j , ápice t r i p a r ü -
t u m , g l a b r u t u , f u p n r u n i . S t y l i trea, t r i q u e t r i,
i u b u l a t i , i n c u r v i , l o t i g i l u d i n e Haminum. Stigm
a t a obfoleta.
P E I Í H A B I ' I L ' M . Capfula o b l o n g a , t r i q u e t r a , t r i f
u l c a , r r i l o c o l a r i s , a medio t r i p a r t i t a.
S E M I N A p l u r i m a , r o t u n d a.
R M P A L E M E N T none.
B L O S S O M one p e t a l , fix-cleft, b e n e a t h ; fegments
l a n c e - f h a p e d , p o i n t e d and u p r i g h t.
C H I V E S . T h r e a d s Jix, ( h r e a d - f h a p e d , u p r i g h t , i n fer
t e d i n t o the m o u t h of the blofTom. Tips
u p r i g h t , d o u b l e.
I ' O I N T A L S . Seed-bud t h r e e - f i d e d , t h r e e - d i v i d ed
at t h e top, fmooth and above. Shafts three,
t h r e e T i d e d , a w l - t h a p e d , t u r n e d i n w a r d s , the
l e n g t h of t h e C h i v e s . Summits obfolete.
S E E D - V E S S E L . C a p l u l e oblong, t h r e e - f i d e d , t h r r e -
furrowed, three-celled] t h r e e - d i v i d e d from t he
m i d d l e .
S ^ E D S m a n y , round.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R.
W u r m b e a f o l i i s ' c u c u l l a t i s , l a n c e o l a t i s ; f p i c a m u l - I Wurmbea with hooded, l a n c e - í h a p e d leaves;
t i f i a r a ; ftoribus fefiilibus, a t r o - p u r p u r e i s . • fpike m a n y - f l o w e r e d ; flowers fitting clofe to
| | the i t em a n d d a r k - p u r p l e.
R E F E R E N C E T O T H E P L A T E .
1. A BJoflom c u t a n d fpread open, w i t h t h e C h i v e s i n t h e i r p l a c e.
2 . T h e I ' o i n t a l s , n a t u r a l fi/e.
3. T h e lame, magnified.
T i n s g e n u s was firft formed bv T h u n b e r g as diftinct from M e l a n t h i u r o , in his Dijertatio Nova
Genera Pfautannu, under t h e ti'tle W u r m b e a , f r om t h e c o n f l m a i o n ot t h e blolTom which 111 t h i s , is
s oompofed - • r r- .I ' I R : _ O . :— ...i.:„i, i,„„ 11yg oeen confidered as
f o r m e d o f o n e p e t a l , b u t i n t h a t , i s o f o t fix \ a d i f t i n e t i o n w h i c h h a s a l w a ys
m o m e n t o u s , in d e t e r m i n i n g t h e l i m i t t h e d i f f e r e n t g e n e r a of this chifs; fine* which, however, it
h a s b e e n a b a n d o n e d by h i m , a n d t h r o w n t n j M e l a n t h i um \ a l t h o u g h S c h r e b e r , i n h i t G e n e r a P l a n t a r u m,
G. 203.617. p. 23t).T. V o l . I. m a d e n o f c r u p l e in a d o p t i n g it. W i l l d e a o w has, in his Species P l a n t a r u m , G. JQ3.
p . 11- P . I . w e t h i n k w i t h p r o p r i e t y , r e n e w e d its c l a i m s t o p a r t i c u l a r d i l t i u c t i o n , u n d e r t h e firl't
t i t l e ; but w i t h this difference, that out of t h e four varieties g i v e n by T h u n b e r g , all u n d e r t h e fpecific
n a m e o t Capenfil, h e h a s m a d e t h r e e f p - c i e s ; r e f e r r i n g h i s o p i n i o n on t h e f o u r t h , o u r p r e f e o t p l a n t , a nd
t h e feco'id Var.h ot WtUdcoow,T h u n b e r g , for w a n t , as h e obferves, of p r o p e r d o c u m e n t s . Now, as our ideas run
n o t e x a c t l y w i t in this a l t e r a t i o n ; but t h i n k i n g w i t h T who h u n m b e u r d g ,have 1
feen t he
p l a n t s a l i v e , a n d t h e n c e , of c u u r l e , t h e belt j u d g e ; we have tl_
a t h e r followed h i m ; as we poilefs
d r a w i n g s of two mure of t h e v a r i e t i e s q u o t e d b y him, t a k e n from l i v i n g f p e c i m s n s , and whole t r i f l i ng
d i f f e r e n c e o f c h a r a c t e r dues not w a r r a n t t h e m to be t r e a t e d as I p e c i l i c a l l y different, but as m e r e var
i e t i e s o f e a c h o t h e r.
T h e roots o f this fpecies, w i t h t h e o t h e r s , o f w i n c h w e have d r a w i n g s , w e r e received b y G H i b b c r t,
fcfq. in t h e year I SIX), from t h e C a p e of Good H o p e . The bulbs are folid l i k t thofe of I x i a , Sec. b ut
of a molt l i n g u l a r form, h a v i n g an a p p e n d a g e at t h e bale l i k e t h e pat of a m o l e . N o n e of t h e varieties
we have feen p r o d u c e more t h a n three leaves, w h i c h (heath t h e flower-item one above t h e o t h e r , a nd
a r c r a t h e r l o n g e r t h a n i t . It flmiriihes in fandy peat e a r t h , a n d flowen in M a y o r J u n e ; but h a s , cert
a i n l y , m o r e to r e c o m m e n d it to our n o t i c e from its A n g u l a r i t y , as forming a f e p a r a t e g e n u s ; ihdQ
f r om i t s b e a u t y . Our figure was t a k e n f r om t h e C l a p h a r a collection.