The identity of this beautiful Cape Hyacinth has for many years been obscured by its inclusion by some botanists in the synonymy of Lachenalia orchioides Ait., the Hyacinthus orchioides of Linnaeus. Although I have myself seen many colour forms of that species in the field, I cannot subscribe to L. mutabilis being regarded as coming within its range of variability. The plant figured here is of striking beauty, the sky-blue of the unopened flowers contrasting with the brownish-yellow of the mature flowers, a characteristic whence the specific name is derived. It differs from L. orchioides and its various colour-forms especially in this colour-change, and more markedly so in its "tail" of quite long-pedicellate imperfectly developed flowers in the upper part of the inflorescence. In L. orchioides the flowers are usually all open at the same time, the spike is quite dense, and it is doubtful whether the beautiful blue colour is ever present in any of the forms. L. mutabilis was introduced into this country in 1825, and it was soon figured by Sweet (1.c.) and by Loddiges (l.c.). It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful species of this interesting Cape genus, which is now represented by upwards of seventy species mainly found in the Cape region of South Africa from Namaqualand to Port Elizabeth, most of them in the western part of this area, very few being found in the Karoo. Unless well-preserved, herbarium specimens lose many of their characteristics, and on this account Lachenalia is a genus which can be studied best from living specimens. Good collections of living plants of this genus may be seen.

L. orchioides Baker in Dyer