Herbertia
(named after Dr. Wm. Herbert, 1778-1847, once Dean of Manchester, and a distinguished botanist, famous for his knowledge of bulbous plants). ORD. Irideae. A genus (now referred by Bentham and Hooker to Alophia) of some half-dozen species of pretty half-hardy bulbous plants, allied to Tigridia; natives of Texas, Chili, and South Brazil. The species are rarely seen in gardens, and, in all probability, those described below are the only ones yet introduced. Flowers blue or yellow, pretty, produced at the top of a short scape; perianth short-tubed, six-parted, the outer segments triangular, acute, and reflexed, and the shorter inner ones rounded and erect. The species thrive in sandy loam and peat. Propagated by seeds, or by offsets. H. caerulea (blue).* fl., peduncles shorter than the bracts; claws of sepals white, blue-dotted; segments blue, spotted; petals blue, acute anthers and stigmas short. l. grass-like, ribbed, narrowed to both ends. h. 6in. Texas. (B. M. 3862, Fig. 3.) H. Drummondiana (Drummond's). fl. violet; sepals spotted with white on claws; petals small, recurved. June to August. l. broad, plicate, 6in. long. Texas, 1839.
H. pulchella (neat). fl. blue, purple; perianth segments bearded at base. July. l. linear-ensiform, acute at both ends, plicate. h. 9in. Chili and South Brazil, 1827. (B. M. 3862, Figs. 1 and 2.)