Tar. 6558. - 
PROTEA prEniciLuara. 
Native of South Africa. 
' Nat. Ord. ProtEacrm.—Tribe Protre2. 
enus Protga, Linn.; (Benth. et Hook, f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 169.) 
Protea penicillata; fructicosa, robusta, tota laxe sericeo-pilosa demum glabra, 
foliis sessilibus oblongis lineari-oblongis v. oblongo-lanceolatis glaucescentibus 
obtusis v. acutis coriaceis obsolete venosis marginibus late recurvis interdum 
subtortis, capitulo sessili magno turbinato v. late cylindraceo, involucri squamis 
numerosis erectis imbricatis obtusis sericeo-pilosis viridibus, infimis brevibus 
sequentibus sensim longioribus oblongis, intimis lineari-oblongis flores sub- 
equantibus truncatis rotundatis y. apiculatis flavidis, perianthio sesquipollicari 
sericeo segmentis apice barbatis, stylo gracili reeto, stigmate obscuro. 
P. penicillata, EZ. Meyer in Plant. Drege ; Meissner in DC. Prodr. vol. xiv. pars 
1, p. 235. : 
P. Mundii, Klotzsch in Ott. et Dietr. Gartenzeit, 1838, p. 113. 
P. longiflora, var. Mundii, Link, KU. et Ott. Ic. Pl. Rar. vol. i. p. 55, t. 22. 
P. ovalis, Buek in Pl. Drege. : 
The Cape Proteace, the favourites of our grandfathers, 
may be said to have “‘ gone out of cultivation,” so completely 
have they been replaced by other tribes of more or less 
deservedly popular, but neither more interesting nor more — 
curious plants. Of Protea alone, twenty-three Cape species 
were cultivated in Kew at the date of the publication of the 
second edition of the ‘‘ Hortus Kewensis” (1810), and 
twelve are figured in the Boranican Macazing, the last, P. 
grandiflora, Tab. 2447, in the year 1823. No less than 
twenty-three are figured in “ Andrew’s Botanical Reposi- 
tory,” published between the years 1797 and 1804, This 
neglect of a whole genus of most conspicuous plants which 
forms a grand feature in the vegetation of one of England’s 
greatest colonies, is not due to want of beauty, for some of 
the formerly cultivated species are amongst the handsomest 
of plants, whether for size, form, or colour of inflorescence ; 
and would carry away the first prize at any horticultural show. 
Such are—P. cordifolia (Tab. 649), with its scarlet branches, 
blue leaves, and gorgeous heads of ruby-coloured bracts ; 
P. lepidocarpa (Tab. 674), with leaves edged with red and 
jet-black velvetty involucral scales bordered with a silver 
may Isr, 1881. 
iss. 
