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Sparmannia Africana. African • 

 Sparmannia. 



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C/tf/} ##</ Order. 



POLYANDRIA MoNOGYNIA. 



Generic Char after. 



Cor. 4-petala, reflexa. Neclaria plura torulofa jlamina cin- 

 gentia. Cal. 4-phylIus. Cap/, angulata, echinata, 5-locularis. 



Specific Character and Sy?ionyms. 



SPARMANNIA africana. Linn. Suppl PL p. 266. Reizii 

 Obfervationes Botanic a t f.§> t. 3. 



This beautiful fhrub is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 from whence it was introduced by the celebrated traveller 

 whole name it bears. It grows to the height of fix feet or more, 

 is thickly divided into alternate branches, finely clothed with 

 large cordate and lobed pendulous leaves upon ereft; foot/talks, 

 making a very handfome appearance even in foliage, in which 

 "ate it much refembles a fida ; its fine umbels of flowers are 

 produced plentifully along the young branches oppofite the 

 leaves, in the fame manner as in the common fpecies of Pe- 

 largonium, which it is very like in its inflorefcence, the flowers 

 nodding before they are expanded, and becoming erecl as they 

 approach maturity. The petals, which are of a fnowy white, 

 remain but a' (hort time expanded, being foon reflected with 

 the calyx : this is white like the petals, but covered, as is the 

 pole of the plant, the petals excepted, with fine hairs. The 

 Jugular ne&arics, the chara&eriftic of the genus, furround the 

 "laments, which they fo nearly referable, that a fuperficial ob- 

 server might readily confound them ; they are very numerous, 

 ar e fhorter than the purple filaments, of a yellow colour, to- 

 ru 'ofe, or nobbed, at the upper part : they have no anthers, 

 though they have purple tips not unlike them. The whole 

 I^ant abounds with a taltelcfs mucilage. 



The 



