plant Abama; but the prior right of Narthecium, published in 1742, is irrefragable.
The genus whose illustration is the object of the present disquisition, may therefore be considered as now established beyond the reach of controversy, under the following name and characters.
Tofieldia.
Huds. Fl. Angl. 157. Sm. Fl. Brit. 397.Dryand. in Ait. Hort. Kew.v. ii. 324Pursh Amer. Sept. 216.Decand. Fr. v. iii. 193.
Anthericum.Linn. Gen. Pl. ed. i. 106.Hall. Hist. v. ii. 98.
Narthecium.Ger. Gallopr. 142.Juss. Gen. 47.Lamarck Illustr. t. 268.
Isidrogalvia.Ruiz et Pavon Peruv. v. iii. 69. Dryand.
Char. Ess.Calyx trifidus.Petala sex, æqualia.Styli verticales, breves.Capsulæ tres, superæ, basi junctæ, polyspermæ.Antheræ subrotundæ.
Char. Nat.
Cal.Perianthium inferum, remotiusculum, monophyllum, membranaceum, trifidum, parvum, persistens.
Cor.Petala sex, oblonga, concava, æqualia, patentia, persistentia, calyce multoties longiora.
Stam.Filamenta sex, petalis opposita, subulata, simplicia, glabra, longitudine corollæ. Antheræ incumbentes, cordato-subrotundæ.
Pist.Germina tria, supera, conniventia, acuminata, desinentia in stylos brevissimos, verticales, distantes.Stigmata capitata.
Peric.Capsulæ tres, basi connexæ, gibbosæ, carinatæ, membranaceæ, uniloculares, bivalves, intùs præcipuè dehiscentes.
Sem.Numerosa, elliptico-oblonga, angulata, valvularum margini internæ utrinque inserta.
