Part 109

Protea with nearly linear leaves, narrow, oblique, harsh and very long; the inner scales of the cup are lance-shaped and upright; the plume of flowers are of a rusty-purple; the cone nearly globe-shaped.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Blossom complete, with the seed-bud attached. 2. The Petals of the flower spread open, to expose the situation of the Tips. 3. The Seed-bud, Shaft and Summit.

That the attention of the scientific and other collectors and cultivators of exotics, in this kingdom, may be brought to a better acquaintance, with this fine, very extended, yet much neglected Genus; the species of which, now in Britain, amount to more than seventy, has been our chief aim, in endeavouring to lay before them, figures of some of the most rare and beautiful; one of which we deem the present.

This variety of Long-leaved Protea, is figured in Boerhaave’s Index to the Leyden garden, Part 2. p. 186, as one of his Lepidocarpodendrons, and has been given, by Willdenow in his Sp. plant. Tom. I. p. 531, as a synonim of P. speciosa, quoted from Thunberg’s prod. 27. Diss. de Prot.

The culture and treatment of this plant, is the same as P. speciosa, to which we refer our readers.

From a fine plant, in the Hibbertian collection, our drawing was taken in the month of July this year. It was introduced to us from the Royal Gardens at Schonbrun in Germany, communicated by the superintendant to Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith, the seeds having been received from the collector for the Emperor, at the Cape.

PLATE CXXXIV.

IXIA CROCATA. Var. nig. maculata.

Crocus flowered Ixia. Var. black spotted.

CLASS III. ORDER I.

TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

COROLLA 6-petala, patens, æqualis.

STAMINA tria, erectiusculo-patula.

BLOSSOM 6-petals, spreading, equal.

CHIVES three, upright and spreading.

See IXIA REFLEXA. Pl. XIV. Vol. I.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Ixia foliis falcatis, flaccidis; floribus alternis, sessilibus; petalis tribus exterioribus basi gibbis maculatisque.

Ixia with scimitar-shaped limber leaves; flowers grow alternate and close to the stem; the three outer petals are gouty and spotted at the base.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The two Spaths of the Empalement. 2. The Flower cut open and expanded, with the Chives attached. 3. The Seed-bud, Shaft and Summits, the Summits detached and magnified.

This variety of Crocus-flowered Ixia was introduced, according to the Kew Catalogue, Vol. I. p. 60, in the year 1774, by Mr. F. Masson, from the Cape of Good Hope, and there, is treated as a distinct species, under the name of I. deusta. From the number of drawings we possess of this tribe of plants, having nineteen distinct varieties of this one species, and in the close investigation we have given them, in their flowering, for a number of years; having found them to sport in colour, &c. from the same root, but much more so from seed; enables us decisively to place this plant as a variety to I. crocata. It is one of the most hardy of the Genus, and propagates itself by the root. The flowers are produced about May, in which month 1799, our drawing was taken, at the Hammersmith nursery; since, we have not seen it in any collection; which leads us to think it is not a free blower, as the roots are not scarce.

PLATE CXXXV.

MALVA REFLEXA.

Reflex-flowered Mallow.

CLASS XVI. ORDER VI. of Schreb. Gen. Plant. 1789.