Part 10

This species of Gladiolus, although so scarce with us, is certainly one of the most common found near Cape Town; and, notwithstanding its extreme beauty, has been overlooked by most collectors; who, from its great frequency, have generally considered it as forming, undoubtedly, part of every collection of exotics. It is of an extreme delicate nature, and overmuch wet easily destroys it; differing from most Cape bulbs, in requiring a light loamy earth, and the assistance of a dry stove, to make it flower well; which it will do by such aid, about May, or June; seldom producing seeds, and propagating but slowly by the root. From the fugitive character of this plant, it is difficult to ascertain the first cultivator; for although it does not appear amongst the Gladiolus in the Hortus Kewensis, it must undoubtedly have come into that immense collection at different periods, but never flowered; which is the reason we do not find it there described, which has been done by Linnæus, in his Species Plantarum, under the name it here bears; as well as by Plukenet, in his Phyto graphia, and others under various synonims. This figure was taken from a plant that flowered at Messrs. Lee and Kennedy’s in 1796.

PLATE IX.

ATRAGENE CAPENSIS.

Cape Atragene.

CLASS XIII. ORDER VII.

POLYANDRIA POTYGYNIA. Many Chives. Many Pointals.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Perianthium tetraphyllum; foliolis ovalibus, patentibus, obtusis, deciduis.

COROLLA. Petala duodecim, linearia, basi angustissima, obtusa, patula.

STAMINA. Filamenta plurima, brevissima. Antheræ oblongæ, acumenatæ.

PISTILLUM. Germina plurima oblonga. Styli villoli. Stigmata simplicia, longitudine antherarum.

PERICARPIUM. Nullum.

SEMINA plurima, desinentia in caudam pilosam.

EMPALEMENT. Cup four-leaved, which are oval, spreading, blunt, and deciduous.

BLOSSOM. Petals twelve, linear, narrowest at base, blunt, and spread open.

CHIVES. Threads many, very short. Tips oblong, pointed.

POINTAL. Seed-buds numerous, oblong. Shafts hairy. Summits simple, the length of the tips.

SEED-VESSEL. None.

SEEDS many, terminating in a hairy tail.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Atragene, foliis ternatis; foliolis incisis, dentatis, rigidis; flore incarnato, semipleno.

Atragene, with three divisions; the smaller divisions jagged, toothed, and harsh; the flower flesh-coloured, and semidouble.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Petal cut off close to the receptacle.

2. The Fruit-stalk, Chives, and Pointals; the Chives thrown to one side, to expose the situation of the Pointals; one tip magnified.

3. A Seed of the size when ripe.

This plant has been considered by Burmann, Hermann, and other Cape botanists, as an Anemone, to which genus it certainly may as easily be referred as Atragene: but as it has been clearly described by Linnæus, under that genus, we have not hardiness enough to dispute his authority. It is (as the trivial name implies) a native of the Cape of Good Hope, but at some considerable distance within land; whence it requires a dry stove to preserve it, suffering much from damps. It is only since the year 1795, that this plant has been found in our greenhouses; being then introduced by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, nurserymen, where it has flowered and perfected seeds; which seems to be the only means of propagating it: the soil it prefers is a mixture of peat and loam; flowering about March, or April.

PLATE X.