which are unaccompanied, for most of the time, with a single leaf, 
and thus present a most singular and beautiful appearance. Till the © 
period of inflorescence is half over, the tree is quite naked, and does not 
produce its full foliage till July, a few racemes only continuing through 
eat part of the summer. Leaves copious, large, and handsome, borne 
in terminal tufts and springing from buds which are densely clothed 
with tomentose, small scales, Stipules ovate, minute and downy, fleshy, 
at length indurated, woody and permanent. Prickles from a small point — 
or protuberance between the stipules, close beneath the large, prominent 
scar of the petiole, and requiring at least two years for their develop- 
ment. Petioles round, even, with rarely more than two small, hooked 
prickles béneath, covered, when young, with tawny pubescence. | 
leaflets on short, thickened stalks, each furnished with a minute stipule, 
inequilateral, ovato-deltoid, somewhat heart-shaped, obtuse, 
one with a longer petiole, and two small stipules of the same figure, but 
ae and larger than the lateral leaflets; all pubescent beneath 
when young: the entire leaf measuring nearly a foot in length. Aaceme— 
nearly straight and erect, solitary or two or even three s ringing from 
the summit of each branch, and at the base of the terminal, unexpanded 
leaf-bud, consisting of numerous, closely-crowded flowers, in a 
_ cone of spirally arranged buds; its main stem fulvo-pubescent, rounded — 
finally nearly a foot long. Flowers of a most brilliant vermillion scat™) ~ 
irregularly whorled. Pedicels very short, each bearing a small, ovate 
tea at the base, and a pair of similar ones beneath the calyx. lyz col 
pressed, brownish below, reddish above, downy, rigid, fleshy, subcampanula”®s — 
truncated, the mouth contracted, entire, teeth obsolete or with the intervals — 
filled up by a continuing membrane. Vezillum forming the whole flower, — 
strongly folded together for its whole length, linear-lanceolate, narrow, obtuse, 
slightly curved upwards, faintly streaked with longitudinal darker Jines. Wings 
very small, their tips just eegpesring beyond the calyx, oblong, concave, TOUNT 
ed, pale reddish at i i green below, striated, Petals of the keel 
rather shorter and narrower than the wings, but nearly of the same form and 
hue, closely embracing the base of the stamens, which last are imperfect! é 
diadelphous, a little shorter than the vexillum, and generally sheathed by it 
Filaments white ; anthers small, linear; triquetrous. Style subulate 
stigma acute. Pod four to nine inches ong, compressed, smooth, 
dark brown, oe moniliform, containing a pithy substance, and two 10° 
four seeds, which are oval, of a dull scarlet, with a small, black lozenge 
mark just below the hilum. pro- 
ot an unfrequent inmate of the gardens in Madeira, to which it was Pr” 
bably brought immediately from Peston where it is much cultivated, the 
native country of this splendid tree being Asia. Besides its singularity and 
beauty, the facility with which the various species of ERYTHRINA ame PP” 
ted is no small recommendation. Every branch, however y a 
en and carelessly stuck in the ground, will readily take root and ira The 
flowers are perfectly scentless, like those of the other Coral- S; bee 
spread horizontally as they continue to expand, the lower ones opening * 
and off in succession as the upper ones advance : thus the maoeme® 
preserve throughout the appearance of a candelabrum. In Madeira, few oil 
are produced, the blossoms almost all dropping off with the calyx entire, © 
; ving the pedicels attached to the main stem for some little time longer. 
These, however, fall also, before the uppermost flowers of the raceme vs 
” The Sat rida plant from which the drawing and description tas ei 
ws in the garden of the Quinta da Valle, close to its rival 
RYTHRINA telutina. Rev. R. T. Lowe. 
__Fig.1, Corolla, 2,3. Wings. 4. The two Petals of the Keel, nat. size. 5+ rae, 
eee eee <a 
