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PLATE CCCCL.
A L B U C A FASTIGI A T A.
Lcvel'fopped Aihuca.
C L A S S VI. ORDER L
HEXJNDRIA MONOGYNIJ. Six Chives. One Pointai.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
C A L Y X nullus.
COROLLA hexapetala 5 tribus interioribvis conniventibus,
exterioribus patulis.
STAMINA. Filamenta sex, apice inflexa, basi dilatata.
Antliers oblonga:, in medio affixEE.
Stylus triquetev. Stigma triquetrum.
PERICARPIUM. Capsula oblonga, angulata,
3-locularis, 3-valvis.
SEMINA numerosa, plana.
OBS. In quibusdam speciebus tria stamina sterilia
sunt.
SPECIFIC
ALBUCA foliis lanceolato-ensiformibus : floribus
erectis, paniculatis, fastigiatis, pedunculis
longissimis : corollis albis, in medio linea
viridi : petalis interioribus apice fornicatis,
stamina includentibus, qu£e sunt omnia fertjjia.
E M P A L E M E N T none.
BLOSSOM. Six petals; the three inner ones conniving
together, the outer ones spreading.
CHIVES. Six threads turned inwards at the
points, and widened at the base. Tips oblong,
and fastened in the centre. Shaft
three-sided. Summit three-cornered.
SEED-VESSEL. Capsule oblong, angular, 3-celIed,
3-vah'ed.
SEEDS many, flat.
OBS. In some species three of the stamens are
steril.
C H A R A C T E R .
ALBUGA wi t h leaves between lance- and swordshaped
: flowers upright, and grow paniculated
and level: footstalks very long : blossoms
white, with a stripe of green in the
c e n t r e ; the inner petals forming anarch at
t h e end, and enclosing the stamens, which
are all fertile.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. One of the flower-props.
2. The chives and pointal.
3 . One of the outer chives.
4 . One of the inner ones.
5. Seed-bud and pointal.
THIS genus approaches so near to Ornithogalum, that they may easily be mistaken for each other; t!ie
only visible distinction resting in the unexpanding character of the three inner petals, or calyx; for opinions
vary with respect to their denomination—Jussieu, an able botanist (through all the divisions of
this fami ly), regarding that as the empalement which we, following Linnaeus, describe as petals. In the
Species Plantarum of Willdenow we find our plant enumerated under the specific title of fastigiata,
with a technical description annexed to it. From a plant in the garden of G. Mibbert, esq. about three
years ago, we made a drawing of this Albuca, but are inclined to think it rather scarce, not having
seen it since that period.
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