1. The Cup and Pointal of a female flower.
2. The Cup and Chives of a male flower.
3. The Pointal and Seed-bud of a female flower, without the cup.
This plant, a native of the Island of Cuba, was imported from thence, by Mr. J. Fraser, King’s Road, Chelsea, in the year 1801. It is, unquestionably, as handsome a plant as any at present cultivated in our hot-houses, and its continuing to produce fresh umbels of flowers, during at least nine months of the year, renders it, perhaps, the most desirable. It grows to the height of near three feet, producing but few branches. The leaves are extremely irregular in their form, and, when the plant is in a sickly state, the older ones are subject to be slightly blotched, on the under side. Few tropical plants that thrive with so little heat, or care; nevertheless, we have not any hopes, of its ever becoming a proper subject for the green-house; but as yet our experience on that point will not permit us to decide upon it. It should be planted in a mixture of leaf mould, rotten dung, and loam; and may be propagated by cuttings. From a plant at the Hammersmith nursery, ripe seeds have been procured this year; they have the exact appearance of the seeds of the lesser Palma Christi, but rather smaller in size and have the same oily character. Indeed, there is so little difference between some species of the Genus Ricinus, and Jatropha, that botanists have been puzzled where to place them. Our drawing was made from a plant in the collection of the Right Hon. the Marquis of Blandford, White Knights, Berkshire.[Pg 498]
PLATE CCLXVIII.
GLADIOLUS PLICATUS.
Plaited-leaved Gladiolus.
CLASS III. ORDER I.
TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.