OPORANTHUS. - Autumnal Crocus-lily.
. . . Bulbus subrotundus. Folia autumnalia, hiemalia. Scapus autumnalis,
uniflorus. Spatha cylindracea, apice diviso. Tubus subinfundibuliformis,
brevis. Laciniæ alternæ exteræ æquales, latiores. Filamenta pariter infra
laciniarum junctionem tubo inserta, externa breviora. Stigma trifidum.
Germen sessile, tubo et scapo directe continuatum, ovale, complanatum,
triloculare. (Loculi 7-9 ovulis biseriatim positis). Ovula subrotunda,
angulis compressione incertis, margaritacea. Regiones incolunt mari Magno,
Hadriatico, et Ægeo finitimas. Species.
. . . . . 1. luteus; var. latifolia. Bot. Mag. 290.
. . . . . - var. 2. Angustifolia.
. . . Huic generi referandæ sunt (nisi Sternebergia Kitaib. genus sit per se).
. . . . . 2. Colchiciflorus. Kitaib.
. . . . . 3. Clusiana. Clus. hist. 1. 163. Narcissus Persicus.
. . . . . 4. Exiguus. Schousboe maroc. p. 1. 160. Amaryllis.
. . . . . 5. Citrinus. Smith prodr. fl. græc. 1. 221. Amaryllis.
. . . Bulb roundish. Leaves autumnal, continuing through the winter. Scape
autumnal, one-flowered. Spathe cylindrical, covering the germ, divided
at the end. Tube narrow funnel-shaped, short. Petals alternately equal,
the outer broadest, Filaments inserted a little below the junction of the
petals at the same height into the tube, those belonging to the outer petals
shortest. Stigma trifid. Germ sessile, continued in a straight line from
the scape and tube, oval, flattened, 3-celled. (Cells with from 7 to 9 ovules
in a row, in two rows, with an odd one at top, in Lutea). Ovules roundish,
irregularly angular by compression, like pearls. Inhabit the countries bor-
dering on the Mediterranean. Species. * 1. Luteus; v. latifolia. Bot, Mag.
290. - * - var. 2. Angstifolia. To this genus belong also, unless Sterne-
bergia, Kitaib. be a genus by itself, 2. Colchiciflorus. - 3. Clusianus. - 4.
Exiguus. - 5. Citrinus. - Luteus is perfectly hardy, and probably the others
would also endure our winters. I understand from Mr. Salisbury that the
name Oporanthus was given to Luteus by L'Ecluse. I should otherwise have
preferred, the name Crocolirion. Colchiciflorus accords particularly with
Crocus, in having the tube partly under ground, and the capsule protruded
out of the earth at a later period. I should not consider that circumstance
alone sufficient to warrant its separation from Luteus, under the name Ster-
nebergia, given to it by Kitaibel, and the descriptions of the four last species
accord with my definition of Oporanthus; but as I have not seen the flower
of any of them, I cannot pretend to decide that there may not be grounds
for separating Sternebergia from Oporanthus, thought I am not aware of them.
I have not seen the ripe seed of Luteus. Oporanthus differs from Zephy-
ranthes in a lower insertion of the filaments, a sesile flower, a flattened and
erect germ, rounder ovules, and no sejunction of a filament; probably
in capsule and ripe seeds still more.
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