Iridaceae. Tribe Ixieae.
Montbretia crocosmaeflora, Hort.; Flor. Mag. n.s. t. 472; Fl. Cap.
vol. vi. p. 129.
This plant, commonly seen in South African gardens, is a hybrid between Tritonia Pottsii and Crocosmia aurea, and was described from plants which flowered at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in August 1889. As the plant has been described under the generic name of Montbretia in the Flora Capensis we retain the combination here.
The plant blooms in Pretoria during the month of April, and furnishes a good supply of cut flowers during a time when they are scarce. Our illustration was made from specimens flowering at the Division of Botany, Pretoria.
Description:—Corm 2·5 cm. in diameter, almost spherical, sending out lateral rhizomes. Leaves arranged up the stem in a fan-like manner, 6 to 7 on each side, up to 30 cm. long, ·8 to 1 cm. broad, linear, acute, equitant at the base, with the midrib prominent and the lateral veins evident in fresh specimens, glabrous. Peduncle up to 25 cm. long, 7-to 10-ribbed (almost narrowly winged), glabrous. Inflorescence a lax panicle of 3 to 4 spikes. Spikes 4 to 5 cm. long, 4-to 6-flowered. Spathe-valves 8 mm. long, ovate, acuminate, brown, membranous. Perianth-tube 1·5 cm. long, 4 mm. in diameter above, gradually narrowing below; lobes 2·8 cm. long, 9 mm. broad, oblong, obtuse, somewhat unequal. Stamens fixed in the upper portion of the perianth-tube; filaments 2·2 mm. long, terete; anthers 8 mm. long, linear, versatile. Ovary 6 mm. long, ellipsoid; style 3 cm. long, terete; style-branches 1 mm. long, bifid and papillose at the apex. Fruit 9 mm. in diameter, globose, obtusely 3-angled, several seeds in each cell (National Herb. 2848).[{132}]
Plate 152.—Fig. 1, corm showing rhizomes; Fig. 2, median longitudinal section of a flower; Fig. 3, spathe-valves; Fig. 4, stamen; Fig. 5, upper part of style; Fig. 6, fruits.
F.P.S.A., 1924.