Plants -- South Africa -- Periodicals; Plants -- South Africa -- Pictorial works -- Periodicals
The plant here figured was introduced into Kew Gardens in the year 1758.
Though it has been more than once illustrated in botanical publications,
we do not apologise for reproducing this coloured illustration of one of
the common bulbs found in so many gardens at the Cape. The species
_grandiflora_ is represented by many colour varieties, and is probably
the same as the plant described as _Spiraxis tricolor_, which only
appears to differ from it in the colour markings on the perianth. The
variety here figured is probably the form originally described under the
name _Spiraxis atropurpurea_.
The specimens were collected by Dr. R. Marloth, who forwarded them to
the Division of Botany, Pretoria, where they flowered in August. They
are preserved in the National Herbarium (Herb. No. 1454).
DESCRIPTION:--_Bulb_ 1·3 cm. long, 1·3 cm. in diameter, covered with
light-coloured fibrous tunics. _Leaves_ about 10 to a bulb, distichous;
the lower leaves about 5 cm. long and 4 mm. broad; the upper up to 26
cm. long and 1·2 cm. broad; all linear, acuminate, acute, with a
distinct midrib and the inner margin membranous, sheathing at the base,
glabrous. _Inflorescence_ shorter than the upper leaves; peduncle about
12 cm. long, clasped and hidden by the inner leaves. _Flowers_ about 6
to an inflorescence, purple. _Bracts_ membranous, 1 cm. long, awned or
lacerated with the awns up to 1·2 cm. long. _Perianth-tube_ 9 mm. long,
cylindric in the lower half, campanulate in the upper half; lobes 1·5
cm. long, 7 mm. broad, spathulate-obovate. _Stamens_ attached to the
throat of the perianth-tube; filaments 9 mm. long; anthers 1·3 cm.
long, linear, eared at the base. _Ovary_ 4 mm. long, 2·5 mm. in
diameter, oblong; style 1·5 cm. long, terete; stigmas 8 mm. long.
* * * * *
PLATE 60.--Fig. 1, perianth laid open; Fig. 2, bract; Fig. 3,
stamen; Fig. 4, style and stigmas.
F.P.S.A., 1922.
[Illustration: _61._
K. A. Lansdell del.]
PLATE 61.
CORYCIUM CRISPUM.
_Cape Province, Little Namaqualand._
* * * * *
ORCHIDACEAE. Tribe OPHRYDEAE.
CORYCIUM, _Sw._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 683.
* * * * *
=Corycium crispum=, _Sw. in Vet. Acad. Handl. Stockh._, 1800, 222; _Bolus,
Orchids of South Africa_, vol. i. t. 45; _Fl. Cap._ vol. v. sect. 3, p.
286.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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