REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A Flower complete, as it stands on the receptacle of the common cup.
2. The same, with one of the petals detached, to shew the situation of
the chives near the ends.
3. The Pointal, complete.
The round tufts of long hair which terminate the inner scales of the cup, in this Protea, and its varieties, constitute its principal, distinguishing specific character from P. speciosa; whose scales are fringed at the summits, and to which our present plant is nearest allied. It is, without doubt, one of the handsomest of this fine tribe of plants; not only in the beauty of the blossom, but for its general habit; as it does not grow above three feet high, very bushy, and producing its flowers at the age of three or four years. It is increased by cuttings only, as are most of the species of this extensive genus, none of them perfecting their seeds in this climate, or producing roots by laying the branches. Our drawing was made from a plant in the Hibbertian collection, to which it was introduced in 1800, by Mr. Niven, from the Cape of Good Hope, in the month of May, 1802.[Pg 27]
PLATE CCCII.
LACHENALIA FRAGRANS.
Sweet-scented Lachenalia.
CLASS VI. ORDER I.
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Six Chives. One Pointal.