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P L A T E CCCLXIV.
m i s PAVONI A.
The Peacock-Lis.
C L A S S in. ORDER L
TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. OuePointal.
E S S E N T I A L GENERIC CHARACTER.
C O R O L L A 6-partita : laciniis alternis reflexis.
Stigmata petaliformia.
C O H O L L A S parted: with the alleniate fegments
reflexed. The ftigmas petal-fhaped.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER, &C.
Iris. Imberbis, folio lineari glabro, fcapo fubunifloro.
Iris. Beardlefs, with a linear fmooth leaf, and
a ufually one-flowered ftera.
I K I S Pauonia Willd. Sp. PI. I. 238.
Jacq, Coil. Sup. p. 8, Defcripdone optima.
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E E F E R E N C E TO THE PLATE.
1. The outer Sheath of the Flower.
2. The inner oce.
3 The Seed-bud, Chives and Pointal as they ftand in the Flower.
4. The Chives fpread open.
5 . ThePointal.
; f
T H I S fplendid but fugitive plant, is ftrikingly emblematic of the ihort duration of fuperior beauty:
its flower is but the tranfient pbjeft of a day; and its whol e life in Europe feldom exceeds a fingleyear!
The Peacock-Iris, notwithftanding its attraftions, is but imperfei9:ly underftood by the Botanifts
and Horticulturifts of this country; for while the latter have been unfuccefsful in cultivating it: fome
of the former have privately confidered it as a new Genus : fome have referred it to Iris, Morea, or
Ferraria; others with more propriety to De la Roche's Genus VieuflTeuxia; and the ufually accurate
Curtis miftook and figured the widely-different Iris tricufpis for it.
The Engliih Gardens have feveral times poiTeflTed this charming fpecies, but we are afraid it is at
prefent entirely loft to them. Our figure therefore, taken from the Hibbertian colleftion fome time
fince, cannot fail to be highly acceptable to all lovers of plants.
In root Iris Favonia referables other Cape Irides; but the varying luftres of its brilliant flowers are
feldom equalled; and not much excelled by any plant we ever faw. It is a native of the Cape,
flowers early in Spring; and muft be treated like the other bulbous fpecies from that country.