Tab. 5722. 



PEIONIUM Palmita. 



South African Palmite. 



Nat. Ord. Junce^.— Hexandbia Monogtnia. 



Gen. Char. Perianthium glumaceum, 6-pbyllum, foliolis subaequilongis, 

 2 exterioribus suboppositis carinatis, ceteris dorso coriaceis. Mamma b, 

 hypogyna, periantbii foliolis opposita. Ovarium liberum, 3-loculare ; 

 stylus 0, stigmatibus 3 recurvis ; ovula pauca, infra medium loculorum 

 iuserta, ascendentia. Capsula 3-locularis, locuhcide 3-valvis loculis 1- 

 spermis. Semina oblonga, ascendentia, testa laxa cellulosa, albumine car- 

 noso ; embryo in axi albuminis clavatus, ejusdem longitudinis v. diimdio 

 brevior.— Fmtex Capensis, fluviatilis, caudicibus fastigiatis hgnosis elon- 

 gatis reliquiis foliorum vetustorum vestitis. Folia versus apices ramulormn 

 conferta, elonaafo-ensiformia, marginibus carinaque spinuUso-serratis. 

 Flores parvi, in vaniculam ramosam terminalem erectam strictam disposm. 



Prionium Palmita. E. Meyer in Linnaea, ©.7.J>.131j Kunth, En. PI 



v. 3. p. 315 ; Hook. Lond. Journ. Pot. v. 9. p. 173. t. 4. 

 Juncus serratus. Thunb. Prodr.p. 66. 



The Palmite of the South African rivers is one of the 

 most curious plants hitherto introduced into cultivation 

 having the flower of a Juncus, the habit of a Pineapple, and 

 inhabiting running streams in such masses, that the matted 

 stems often form a sort of floating bridge, capable ot sup- 

 porting a man. The plant is, further, of considerable com^ 

 mercial importance from the fibrous matter of the bases oi 

 the leaves, which is used for brushes and brooms; the finei 

 fibres of die middle and upper part of the leaf have also been 

 used as a textile material. • . , , , 



For living specimens the Royal Gardens are indebted to 

 Messrs. Haage and Schmidt, of Erfurt, from whom it was 

 received in 1857 ; but, though treated in various ways, it 

 never flowered till the present year, when a plant m. the suc- 

 culent house threw out a panicle four feet long, it was 

 grown in a pot, which stood in a pan of water, in which it nas 

 succeeded better than in a water-tank. 



AUGUST 1st, 186S. 



