THE HISTORY OF THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE xlv 
same as Tritoma Uvaria (pl. 758), but so it is; and although 
cultivated in English gardens as long ago as 1707, accord- 
ing to Gawler, it seems to have attracted no special attention 
until about thirty years ago. Cymbideum giganteum (pl. 
4844) is an Asiatic type of Orchid in which green is 
associated with brighter colours in the large flowers. 
Celogyne pandurata (pl. 5804) is an equally grand plant. 
Trichopilia coccinea (pl. 4857) is an elegant, deep rosy 
Central American Orchid of wholly different character. 
Chamzedorea elegans (pl. 4845) is one of the numerous 
graceful miniature Palms so numerous in Mexico and 
Central America. Genetyllis tulipifera (pl. 4858), now 
referred to the genus Darwinia, is one of Drummond’s 
most beautiful introductions from West Australia, though 
not often seen now that hard-wooded plants are less in 
vogue, Clianthus Dampieri (pl. 5051), another brilliantly 
coloured Australian, interesting, too, as one of the few 
plants discovered by, and figured in, the narrative of the 
great explorer whose name it bears. late 5080 represents 
one of the earliest cultivated of the highly-coloured Pitcher- 
plants. It is there named Nepenthes villosa, but it proved 
different from that, and was subsequently named N. Veitchii, 
Tue Hanp PLant: CHEIROSTEMON. 
The Hand-flower tree, Cheirostemon (or correctly Cheir- 
anthodendron) platanoides (pl. 5135), a native of Mexico and 
Guatemala, where it is, or was, held in great veneration by 
the aboriginal inhabitants, is one of the most remarkable of 
the Malvales; especially so in the structure of the andro- 
cium or staminal column, which bears a striking resem- 
blance to a hand or paw of five claws. 
It is now close upon 300 years since Francisco Her- 
nandez, a Spaniard, made known to Europeans the 
wondrous floral productions of Mexico; including this, 
some of the more famous Orchids, Tigridia, and a host of 
others. As may be imagined, the writings of this author 
excited much curiosity, but it was long before this curiosity 
was satisfied. However, quite early in the last century the 
Cheirostemon was cultivated at Paris and Montpelier; and 
Lambert appears to have soon introduced it into this country, 
though it is not included in the second edition of Aiton’s 
' Described and figured in a Spanish work entitled : “Quatro Libros 
de la Naturaleza y Virtudes de las Plantas y Animales, que estan 
recevidos en el uso de Medecina en la Nueva-Espaia, publicado en 
Méjico por Ximenez el afio 1615.” 
