Leaves grow by eights, are linear, blunt, rough on their upper, and furrowed on their under surface, tapering into long hair-like foot-stalks.
The Flowers are numerous, nearly terminating the branches, in simple whorls, crowded together, and clammy; the foot-stalks are long, bent backward, with three floral leaves.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets lance-shaped, clammy, and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom cylindrically club-shaped, an inch long, bent back at the point, the lower part of a strong flesh colour, the end green, compressed at the mouth, whose segments are straight.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads fixed into the receptacle. Tips bearded, and within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-vessel club-shaped, and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped, almost without the blossom. Summit shield-shaped, concave, and green.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from February, till April.
REFERENCE.
| 1. A Leaf, with its foot-stalk. |
| 2. The Empalement, and Blossom. |
| 3. The Empalement, magnified. |
| 4. The Chives, and Pointal. |
| 5. The Chives detached from the Pointal; one tip magnified. |
| 6. The Shaft, and its Summit magnified.[Pg 69] |