2. A Blossom, natural size.
3. The same magnified.
4. One of the five bundles of Chives, with its Petal, to which it is attached at the base, magnified.
5. The Cup, Seed-bud, Shaft and Summit, natural size, the summit detached and magnified.
The plants from New Holland, of the natural order of Myrti; comprized under the different Genera of Metrosideros, Eucalyptus, Leptospermum, Myrtus, and this present one of Melaleuca; seem, from what we yet know, to constitute a very distinguished part, of the woody vegetable productions of that country: wherefore, we can have little hopes of seeing many of them flower with us, at least, for many years to come. The M. ericæfolia was amongst the first plants raised in 1788, by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith, from seeds; but, till this year, we believe it has not been seen to flower, in any collection in Great Britain; nor perhaps would it, as yet, had not a large and old plant, been planted out in the novel and elegant conservatory of the Right Hon. the Marquis of Blandford at White Knights, near Reading, Berks, from a branch of which, obligingly communicated by his Lordship, our drawing was taken, the beginning of July, this year.
The Plant grows to the height of six or seven feet, upright, very branching, the branches weeping, and the flowers, which grow in spikes or branches of about six inches in length, project, straight out, from about the middle of the stem.
It grows best in a mixture of two thirds sandy peat, and one third loam; may be propagated by cuttings made, from the tender shoots, in the month of March, and kept under a glass, in the tan bed of the hothouse, or in a melon frame until rooted.
This species of Melaleuca and the Metrosideros Nodosa of Gaertner, 1st Vol. de fruct. p. 172, t. 34, f. 6, we must confider as the same, though made by Dr. Smith, see Linn. Trans. Vol. III. p. 276, distinct species; perhaps from specimens gathered at different times, differently dried, or from different parts of the country.[Pg 126]
