Gethyllis namaquensis (Schönland) Oberm.

Bulb tunicate (outer tunics membranous, greyish), depresso-globose, 6 to 8.4 cm in diameter, produced into a conical neck of dry membranous leaf-sheaths about 6 cm long. Leaf-blades at the flowering period dried up, glabrous, narrow linear, about 7.5 cm long and about 1.5 mm broad. Perianth with a very long, partly underground tube, widening very slightly and gradually near the lobes, protruding about 3.5 cm above the neck of the bulb, white, with 3 slight furrows corresponding to the median line of the outer perianth-lobes. The lobes are about 5.5 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, with a small obtuse incurved mucro, from which projects downwards a small, narrow, pointed, membranous process, variable in length (up to 3 mm). The lobes are pink outside, white inside, more or less suberect, slightly carinate. There are 6 stamens in one whorl arising from the mouth of the perianth which are much shorter than the perianth-lobes. The filaments are to a great extent united to form a white, somewhat fleshy 6-lobed corona which is united to the base of the perianth-lobes. The uppermost parts of the filaments are subulate. The anthers are basifixed, have yellow pollen and become spirally twisted when the flower has opened. The delicate style emerges from the perianth-tube by about 3 mm, the stigma is minute, obtusely 3-lobed. The fruit is unknown. As only one flower was available I pollinated it in the hope of getting the fruit. In this I was disappointed. This accounts, however, for certain omissions in the description. Thus the whole length of the perianth-tube has not been stated and the ovary has not been described. These and some other items could easily have been ascertained if I had not wished to leave the flower undisturbed. Only its upper portion was preserved. I hope to be able to make good these omissions at some future date, when I hope to be able to describe also the fruit and seeds.