SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Crotolaria, frutescens, ramulis teretibus sericeis, foliis ternatis, foliolis lineari-lanceolatis acutis petiolis sesquilongioribus, subtus subpilosis.
Crotolaria, shrubby, with cylindrical silky branches, and ternate leaves, with the leaflets linear-lanced acute-once, and-an-half the length of the foot-stalks, and somewhat hairy beneath.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The empalement.
2.The standard.
3.One of the wings.
4.The keel.
5.The chives.
6. The seed-bud and pointal
The species of Crotolaria here represented, may perhaps be the “C. (pilosa) foliis ternatis pilosis, foliolis mucronatis, floribus terminalibus,” of Thunberg’s Prodromus: but from so insufficient a character we have not ventured to determine it to be that plant; having rather chosen to give it as a new species by the name of Pulchella; which it well deserves.
It is a green-house plant, a native we understand of the Cape; and arises with a straight, but little branched, woody stem, to the height of about 3 feet: the branches are cylindrical and silky: the leaves alternate and ternate, inclining to hoary, with pubescent and channelled foot-stalks: the leaflets are lance-shaped, or linear-lanced, once and an half, or sometimes twice the length of their common foot-stalk, and furnished beneath with minute, close-pressed hairs: the flowers are in a terminal racemus, large, yellow, and showy; and are produced in the month of July.
Hitherto we have seen this plant only at the Nursery of Messrs. Colvill, in the King’s Road, where our drawing was made. In favourable seasons the plant will probably ripen its seeds in this country: and at other times we have no doubt of its being capable of propagation by cuttings in the usual way; although we do not know that this has yet actually been done.[Pg 115]
