LXXIV
LEUCOIUM PULCHELLUM.
Neat Leucoium.
ORDO NATURALIS.
Narcissi. Juss. Gen. p. 54.
Sect. 1. Pericarpium inferum. Filamenta toro placentæformi, ad eorum basin mellifero inserta. An-
theræ foramine versus basin angustato dehiscentes.
Flores penduli. Bracteæ sub florescentiam vegetæ.
Pericarpium ovale, succulentulum. Petala fere æqualia, juxta apicem contractiuscula macula viridi.
Antheræ obtusæ. Stylus clavatus. Stigma truncatum. Semina nigra, ovalia, lucida,
Herbæ 6-18
pollicares. Bulbus ovatus, nunc magnitudine ovi Gallinæ. Folia Narcissi sed læte viridia, 4-6 lineas
lata. Flores albi. Pedunculus anceps, sæpius valde compressus.
L. foliis incurvo-patentibus: pedunculo 3-7-floro, valde ancipiti margine integerrimo: pericarpio sub
florescentiam saturate viridi.
L. Bulbosum minus.
Besl. Hort. Eystt. Vern. tert. Ord. fol.xvii. f. 3. L. hexaphyllum majus.
Vallet
Jard. t. 24.
Locus natalis haud pro certo innotuit.
Floret apud nos versus finem
Martii, Aprili.
In the 21st number of this work, I expressed a suspicion that
Leucoium Autumnale, from its very
different habit, would constitute a genus : that plant afterwards ripened seeds, which have left no
doubt about the matter, being comparatively large, whitish, irregularly angulated, and more like
bulbs than the black round seeds of
Leucoium. Accordingly, it is necessary to give another generic
character, and to the narrow-leaved species, I shall in future apply the poetic title of
Acis Acis . These
two genera with
Galanthus, form a separate section in the order, distinguished by the white spongy
torus covering the top of the pericarpium, as well as by their anthers : in the former the filaments
are inserted distinct from the petals, and honey exudes from the base of each, while in most genera
of the other sections, it is discharged from three glands, as in
Hyacinthus.
The
Leucoium now figured is a real species, hitherto confounded with
L. Æstivum, and its diffe-
rences were first pointed out to me by Mr. HAWORTH, a botanist, from whose accuracy I have re-
peatedly profited. It is reported to grow wild in some parts of this island, producing seeds plenti-
fully in our gardens. Bulb often the size of an hen's egg. Leaves appearing in November, of a
deeper green and generally broader than in
L. Æstivum, very entire, quite smooth. Flowers smaller,
from three weeks to a month earlier, exhaling a more perceptible and unpleasant smell. Peduncle
the same colour as the leaves, very entire at the edges, not glaucous and crenulated as in
L. Æsti-
vum. Pedicles from 3 to 7, slender and very long, of a dark green colour, as well as the young fruit.
Petals white, with a green spot below the top, their nerves not so conspicuous, and almost all pa-
rallel, the inner ones broader. Filaments white. Anthers yellow, inserted at the base, where each
cell being emarginated they appear divided into four equal lobes. Style white, with a green spot
below the top, club-shaped. Stigma truncated. Seeds from 13 to 20 in each cell, black, oval, shining.
REFERENCES TO THE PLATE.
1. Pistillum and Stamina, highly magnified. 2. A transverse section of the Pericarpium. 3. A
Seed.