4. The two lower Petals, or keel of the blossom.
5. The Chives, natural size.
6. The same, magnified.
7. The Seed-bud, natural size.
8. The same magnified, but rather more mature.
No Class, amongst the 24, is more distinct in its natural character than Diadelphia; yet, since the discovery of New South Wales, no one has presented more difficulty to the botanist. From the great number of plants of that country, appertaining to this Class, and the strong differing characters which most of them exhibit, such indeed, as might formerly have been thought of sufficient moment to constitute new Genera; many must now bend a little for the ease of science; or otherwise they will in a short time become doubled in number; a matter of no small moment to weak although willing memories. Our having placed the P. scolopendrum of this Volume, Pl. CXCI., and our present plant to the Genus Platylobium, is the occasion of the above prelude; as it may be thought by some who have not seen the seed vessel and seeds, the principal parts upon which the Genus is founded, that nature is a little outraged in so doing; but, without we had so joined them, we must have given them a new title. This plant was introduced at the same time as the P. scolopendrum, and the three other species now in Britain; not one of them, but has baffled all our most experienced cultivators to increase it, by any other mode than from the seed; some of which has been procured from the P. formosum, only. They all require to be kept in the dryest part of the green-house, as they are impatient of damp. Our drawing was made in November 1801, at the Nursery of Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith, by whom it was first raised in 1792. The general height of the Platylobiums, is about three feet and a half, at most, in this country, and they do not form bushy shrubs. They require a light, sandy peat soil, with rather less root room, than is in general necessary for plants of equal size.[Pg 248]
