consequently,” write Humboldt and Bonpland, who gave to this 
_ hew genus the name of Cheirostemon, “ been transported by the 
Indians of Toluca from its native woods, and that, too, long before 
the conquest of America, since it is recorded in the writings of 
authors, previous to the celebrated expedition to Mexico, under 
the Indian name Macpalxochiquauhitl, signifying Hand-flower- 
tree. It was, however, never botanically noticed till 1795, and 
then by Professor Cervantes. So great an object of curiosity 
was this with all the inhabitants of New Spain, that the flowers 
were gathered with avidity by the Indians even before their full 
expansion, and thus seeds were not allowed to ripen. Cuttings 
were transported to gardens in Mexico by Sesse and Mocifio; 
and at length their labours were rewarded by one, and only one, 
succeeding.” 
Humboldt and Bonpland brought seeds to Paris on their re- 
turn from Mexico, but none of them germinated. More perfect 
seeds were afterwards readily obtained. Humboldt, in 1811, 
speaks of its being in collections at Paris and Montpellier ; and 
not long after Mr. Lambert seems to have introduced it to English 
gardens. A fine plant had been long in cultivation at Kew, where 
it has attained a height of twenty-three feet, but never showed 
any disposition to flower. Happily Charles Dorrien, Esq., of Ash- 
ean, has been more successful, and fine and perfect flowers were 
produced in his garden in the spring of 1859, from which, by 
the kindness of this gentleman, our figures have been made. 
€ Specimens arrived in the most perfect state possible, and 
Were accompanied by the following notes :—‘“ The tree is ever- 
green, but loses part of its leaves in winter, so the branches are 
bare in the lower parts. It seems to like a temperature of about 
50° or 55° in winter. The first blossoms are (May 27th, 1859) 
gone off, but there are now four more expanding. ‘The flowers 
secrete (in the nectaries at the base within) a quantity of liquid 
like sugar-and-water, tasting and smelling like toast-and-water. 
Each blossom continues about a fortnight in perfection before it 
begins to fade. The plant propagates easily by cuttings.” 
Descr. Bonpland, in his ful] description, gives the height of 
the trunk of this tree at fifteen feet; yet in his notice of the 
plant flowering in the city of Mexico, states it at thirty feet. 
Our own individual is twenty-three feet, with a diameter of six 
inches, bearing a rather spreading crown of branches, clothe 
with handsome foliage, which is partially deciduous in the win- 
ter. Leaves very much confined to the extremity of the branches, 
as in Many species of Sterculia, which the tree much resembles 
in habit, and the portion of the branches bearing the foliage 1 
clothed with rusty-brown tomentum ; the rest of the branches 
glabrous, with brown, smooth bark, or only scarred from the 
