NAT. ORDER. — SCITAMINE.E. 139 



Tliis plant has all its leaves radical, petioled, oblong-, quite entire, 

 with the margin at the bottom waved and curled, very smooth, glau- 

 cous bencatli, coriaceous, a foot long, and permanent ; the iKlloks are 

 somewhat compressed, three feet long and more, about the thickness 

 of the thumb, sheathing, erect and smooth ; the scape is about the 

 length and Uiickness of the petioles, erect, round, covered with alter- 

 nate, remote, acuminate sheaths, which are green, with a purple mar- 

 gin ; the general spathc is about a span long, green on the outside, 

 purple at the edge ; the partial spathes are whitish ; the petals yellow, 

 and about four inches long ; the nectary blue : according to Curtise 

 the spathe contains about six or eight flowers, which, becoming verti- 

 cal as they spring forth, form a kind of crest, which the glowing orange 

 of tlie corolla, and fine azure of the nectary, render truly superb. This 

 plant is a native of the Cape of Good Hope. , 



Propagation and Culture. These plants are raised from seeds 

 brought from their native situation, and sown in pots of good fine 

 mould, placed in a hot bed to increase their early flowering ; the plants, 

 when of some growth, should be removed into separate pots, and be 

 replaced in a tan-pit of tlie stove ; afterwards when the plants are 

 large, they should have plenty of mould, that the roots may be extend- 

 ed into the rotten tan, and in that way render them more strong and 

 hardy for flowering ; it may likewise sometimes be raised from the 

 roots, when they are suffered to strike in the above manner ; it has 

 been remarked that it will thrive best in the dry stove and conserva- 

 tory. 



