Nightshade with an unarmed stem, upright, spotted, and very tall. The radical leaves are very large, and extremely fetid. Blossoms flesh-coloured, spreading, and somewhat reflexed at the point, which is hooded.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The empalement.
2. A blossom spread open.
3. Seed-bud and pointal.
4. A transverse section of the seed-bud magnified.
This gigantic plant is by far the largest species of Solanum at present known. Our figure represents upper part of a plant that was twelve feet high, and the only one that ever flowered in this kingdom, in the collection of A. B. Lambert, esq. who informed me that the radical leaves measured fifteen inches in breadth and twenty in length. There is but one figure of it extant, and that is in the Icones of Cavanilles, who knew not whence it was indigenous: but it is supposed to be a native of South America. It thrives best against the shelter of a south wall in summer, but in winter requires the protection of the green-house. We have seen two plants of it in the collection at Holland-house, the enormous size of whose foliage then indicated an equal magnitude with our plant when they arrive at a flowering state. At present it is very scarce, and likely so to continue from the extreme fetidity of the foliage. Upon burning a piece of the stalk, it displayed such a nitrous appearance as indicated it to be very strongly impregnated with saltpetre.[Pg 39]
[Pg 40]
PLATE DXII.
PROTEA PINNATA.
Winged-leaved Protea.
CLASS IV. ORDER I.