P E L 



PEL 



diinclcs axillarv, erect, rugged ; wiih four sub- 

 ovate stipules at the forks. Mr. Curtis observes 

 that a vein of singularity runs through the whole 

 of this plant: its stalks are unequally and ob- 

 tusely quadrangular, sometimes more evidently 

 triangular : its leaves few and remarkably small : 

 its flowers, on the contrary, arc uncontnionly 

 large, and, what is more extraordinary, have only 

 four petals ; previous to their expansion the 

 body of filaments is bent so as to form a kind of 

 bow. 



There is a variety with beautifully coloured 

 leaves. 



The twentieth has a shrubby stem, four or 

 five feet high, sending out several branches : the 

 peduncles long, coming out from the side of the 

 branches: the flowers vary considerably both in 

 size and colour : its foliage is ditierent from 

 that of the other sorts, and, as its name imports, 

 like that of the birch-tree. It flowers most part 

 of the summer. 



In the twenty-first, the whole plant is very 

 smooth, glaucous, and in a manner whitish : 

 the stem shrubby, with round, rod-like, declin- 

 ing branches, two feet high : the leaves opposite, 

 often shorter than the petioles, which are round 

 and erect : the stipules lanceolate-acuminate, 

 fleshy, deciduous : the peduncles alternately 

 axillary, very long, one- or two-flowered. It 

 flowers from June to August. 



The twenty-second species has a shrubby 

 stem, six or seven leet hUrh, sending out several 

 side branches : the leaves of a gray colour, and 

 having an acid taste like sorrel: the peduncles 

 axillary, long, sustaining three or four flowers^ 

 with narrow unequal petals, of a pale blush-co- 

 lour, with some stripes of a light red : the flowers 

 continue in succession most part of the summer. 



There is a variety with scarlet flowers raised 

 from seed. 



The twenty-third has a shrubby stem, round, 

 three or four feet high, the thickness of a finger, 

 upright, of a reddish bay colour, branching from 

 the axils, very rough, as is the whole plant, but 

 becoiniug smooth with age: the leaves on long 

 petioles, very widely wedge-shaped, three-nerv- 

 ed, acute, stiflish, alternate, except the upper 

 ones next the flowers, which are opposite, the 

 lower ones seven or eight inches in length 

 reckoning the petioles ; the lobes gashed or 

 thinly toothed, but sometimes quite entire : the 

 stipules small, ovate-acuminate, on each side 

 I'.exl the petiolf.s: the common peduncles ter- 

 minating and axillary, short, sustaining com- 

 monly from four to six flowers, of a purple 

 rose-colour, with dark blood-red spots. It 

 flowers from August to November. 



The twenty-fourth has a sufll'ruticose stem, 



dichotomons, round, purple, villosc, erect, two 

 feet high and more : branches simple, short, 

 resembling the stem : the leaves rigid, strigose- 

 rugged, an inch long : serratures pm-plish ^ the 

 petioles villose, the length of the leaves ; the 

 stipules two or more, ovate-acute, concave, a 

 line in length : the flowers lateral and terminat- 

 ing, nmbelled : involucres lanceolate, purple, 

 subciliale. It differs materially from the other 

 sorts in the unusual roughness of the stalks, as 

 well as in its whole habit. 



The twenty- fifth species, which is but newly 

 introduced, scarcely exceeds a foot in heiffht',- 

 growing up with a shrubby stem, and spreadino- 

 widely into numerous flowering branches, so 

 much disposed to produce flowers in a constant 

 succession, that during most of the summer the 

 plant is loaded with a profusion of them. For 

 the most part they go oft' without seed; and 

 when any is produced, there is generally one 

 perfect and four abortive. The whole plant is 

 covered with short white hairs, which give to 

 the foliage a somewhat silvery hue. llie twa 

 uppermost petals are of a beautiful red, having 

 their bases nearly black ; the three lowermost 

 are white. 



Most of the above species are natives of the 

 Cape. 



Ilicre are also many other species that may be 

 cultivated. 



Culture. — All the sorts may be increased by 

 seeds, which should be sown in the early spring- 

 in pots filled with kitchengardenmould, plunging 

 them in a moderate hot-bed. The plants soon- 

 appear; when they should have fresh air as much 

 as possible, to prevent their being drawn up 

 weak. When the plants have attained some 

 growth, they should be removed into separate 

 small pots filled with the same sort of earth, re- 

 plunging them in the hot-bed till fresh rooted, 

 and givuig proper shade. They should after- 

 wards be gradually inured to the open air, in- 

 order to be placed out in it in the summer 

 season in a sheltered situation. 



They may also be raised in the open ground 

 without the hot-bed, but not so well. 



But they are more commonly increased, espe- 

 cially the shrubby sorts, by cuttings of the young 

 branches, which should be planted in a shady 

 border in the summer, or in pots, and pliuioed in 

 any hot-bed ; which is the better metliod. When 

 well rooted they may be taken up, and planted 

 into separate pots, placinsr them m the slnde • II 

 they have taken new root; after which they 

 may be removed into a sheltered situation, and 

 be treated in the same manner as the secdlino- 

 plants. The fifth, seventh, and fifteenth sort^ 

 have more succulent stalks than the others : t]w 



