Part 53

Propria hermaphroditi infundibuliformis; limbo quinquefido, patulo.

Femineæ ligulata, lanceolata, tridentata.

STAMINA. Filamenta quinque, capillaria, brevissima. Anthera cylindracea, tubulosa.

PISTILLUM. Hermaphroditis; germen oblongum. Stylus filiformis, longitudine staminum. Stigma bifidum, patens.

Femineis; germen oblongum. Stylus filiformis, longitudine hermaphroditi. Stigmata duo, oblonga, revoluta.

PERICARPIUM nullum. Calyx vix mutatus.

SEMINA. Hermaphroditis solitaria, oblonga, ovata. Pappus pilosus.

Femineis similia hermaphroditis.

RECEPTACULUM nudum, planiusculum.

EMPALEMENT. Common, scales tiled; the inner scales standing a little out at the points.

BLOSSOM. Compound, radiate; florets with chives and pointals, many in the center; florets with only pointals, ligulate, ten or more in the circumference.

Individuals with chives and pointals, funnel-shaped; border with five-clefts, spreading.

Individuals with only pointals, ligulate, spear-shaped, with three teeth.

CHIVES. Five hair-like threads, very short. Tips forming a hollow cylinder.

POINTAL. To those with chives and pointals, seed-bud oblong. Shaft thread-shaped, the length of the chives. Summit two-cleft, expanding.

Seed-bud to those with pointals only, oblong. Shaft thread-shaped, the length of the hermaphrodites. Summits two, oblong, bent back.

SEED-VESSEL none. Cup scarcely changing.

SEEDS to the hermaphrodites solitary, oblong, egg-shaped. Feather hairy.

Females the same as hermaphrodites.

RECEPTACLE naked, almost flat.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Aster caulis fruticosus; foliis dentatis, subtus ferrugineis; floribus terminalibus; pedunculis unifloris, bracteatis.

Starwort with a shrubby stem; leaves toothed, iron colour beneath; flowers terminate the branches; fruit-stalks having but one flower, with floral leaves.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Floret of the circumference. 2. The Pointal of the preceding. 3. A Floret of the center, (magnified). 4. The Chives and Pointal of the preceding, (magnified). 5. The Shaft and Summit of the same, (magnified).

This plant cannot undoubtedly be considered as amongst the most beautiful of the vegetable productions of New Holland; but nevertheless, from the continuance of its flowering, is very desirable as a greenhouse plant, as it begins to expand its blossoms about December, and from that time till August is seldom seen without flowers. It is a low-growing shrub, seldom exceeding a foot in height, and very branching. Like most plants from Botany Bay, it delights in a light sandy peat soil, is easily propagated by cuttings, and seeds. The drawing was made from a plant in the nursery of Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, who raised it first from seeds in the year 1793.

PLATE LXII.

GLADIOLUS GRAMINEUS.