DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, short, stout, a little flexuose, rough with the cicatrices of the leaves; the branches densely covered with leaves, numerous, whorled, spreading, and expanded, with ascending points.
Leaves chiefly in sixes, very crowded, linear, about an inch long, obscurely pubescent when magnified, furrowed beneath; the older ones, recurved, but beyond the middle incurvedly ascending, and thence often hook-shaped; with footstalks pressed to the branches.
Flowers verticillately spiked, crowded, nodding, scarlet; peduncles a line and a half long, pubescent, and irregularly bracteated.
Empalement four-leaved, the little leaves linear-awl-shaped, very pubescent, and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom tubular, slightly recurved towards the point, with segments rolled back, blunt, and very obsoletely crenulated.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads, with the tips just with the blossom, beardless.
Pointal. Seed-bud turban-shaped, dilated above, woolly; shaft thread-shaped, just without the blossom, a little higher than the tips; summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from May till April.