REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The Empalement, natural size.
2. The Standard of the blossom.
3. One of the Wings of the blossom.
4. The two petals of the Keel.
5. The Chives and Pointal, with part of the cup, magnified.
6. The Seed-bud magnified.
This Genus of plants was first named by Dr. Smith, in the Linn. Trans. Vol. II. 350, from the P. formosum, which he afterwards figured in the New-Holland specimens, Tab. VI. Our species was introduced, to Britain, in the year 1792, by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy. It is a hardy greenhouse plant; but has not, hitherto, been increased in this country. It must be planted in very sandy peat earth, and not much watered, in winter, as too much wet is apt to destroy it. The young branches, which in the old plant appear much more like leaves, (as seldom any leaves are produced from the upper part of the plant, after a certain age,) are very tender; but in time become as tough as leather, and are almost equally pliable. Our drawing was taken in May 1799, from a plant, we believe, the first that flowered in England, in the Hibbertian Collection.[Pg 192]
