Tabb. 5368, 5369. 

 WELWITSCHIA mirabilis. 



African Welwitschia. 



Nat. Ord. Gnetace^;. — Polygamia Monadelphia. 



Gen. Char. Squamae strobili homogami 4-fariam imbricatse, perplurirase flori- 

 ferse, fructifera3 valde auctae. Flores hermaphroditi et foeminei. Fl. herm. Pe- 

 rianthium 4-phyllum, foliolis 2-seriatis, inferioribus connatis. Stamina 6, mona- 

 delpha ; antherae 3-loculares. Ovuli integumentum disco stigmatifornri termina- 

 tum. Fl. fieji. Perianthiitm ampullaceum, compressissimura, 2-alatum. Ovu- 

 lum maris, sed processu styliformi recto apice simplici lacero. Fructus siccus, 

 squamis membranaceis strobili velatus. — Truncus obconicus, lignosus. Foha 2, 

 opposila, longissime linearia, dilacerata, nervis parallelis. Hook.jil. 



Welwitschia mirabilis. 



Welwitschia mirabilis. Hook.jil. in Trans, of Linn. Soc. v. 24. p. 1. cum tabulis 

 T.-XIV.* 



The old adage "Semper aliquid novi ex Africa pro-venire," holds 

 good in the present day as in times long gone by.. It is little more 

 than two years and a half since the first knowledge of this sin- 

 gular plant, the subject of our two plates, reached Europe, and 

 was contained in a letter addressed to myself by its discoverer, 

 Dr. Frederic Welwitsch, a talented naturalist, then on a botanical 

 mission at St. Paul's, Loanda, on account of the Portuguese 

 Government. The account was soon published, and excited, as 

 may be supposed, the greatest interest among the most eminent 

 of European botanists, an interest which had never been exceeded, 

 if equalled, since the discovery of the Mafflesia. Nor did it want 

 an historian to describe fully its character and affinities, and ex- 

 ternal and internal organization ; these being all fully detailed in 

 the work above quoted. Having, however, actually received 

 living plants at Kew, (though in a dying condition,) besides 

 copious dried specimens, through the kindness of two gentlemen 



* The expense of the execution of this fine series of 4to plates from the pencil 

 of Mr. Fitch, was defrayed from a grant from the fund for the promotion of 

 science, placed annually by Parliament at the disposal of the President and 

 Council of the Koyal Society. 



march 1st, 1863. 



