



PLATE LI. 



XERANTHEMUM SPECIOCISSIMUM. 



Largejl-Jlowermg Everlafting Flower. 



CLASS XIX. ORDER II. 

 SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. Tips united. Superfluous Pointals. 



GENERIC C II A B A C T 1. 11. 



Calyx. Communis imbricatus; fquaruis lan- 

 ceolatis, quarum iutimae difco longiores, 

 menahranaceae, niiidae, radium conftituen- 



tes. 

 Corolla. Corapofita ifiacqualis; corollulse 

 hermaphrodite plurimae, tubulofae in difco. 

 Feminea; pauciores, tubulatae, in ambitu. 



. 

 Propria hermaphroditis infundibuliformis, 



calyce lunge bre\ior; limbo quinqucfido, 



patulo. 



Feminds tubulofa, longitudine hermaphro- 



diti, quinquefida, minus aequalis. 



Stamina. Hermaphroditis filamenta quinque, 

 brevifBma. Anthenv cylindracea, tubu 

 lofa, longitudine fere corollulse. 



Pistillum. Hermaphroditis germen breve. 

 Stylus nliformis, ftaminibus longior. Stig- 

 ma bifidum. 



Femineis germen ut in hermaphroditis. 

 Stylus filiformis, longitudine herrnaphrodi- 

 torurn. Stigmata duo, oblonga reflexa. 



Pericarpidm nullum. Calvx vix mutatus. 



Semixa oblonga, coronata. 

 P.ECEFTACULUM nudum, planiufculum, puncta- 

 tura. 



Empalfmbnt. Common tiled; fcales fpear- 

 fhaped, the inner on< s 1. ng< r than the dilk, 

 lkinny. lhming. and forming the ray ot the 

 flower. 



Blossom. Compound, unequal; florets with 

 chives and pointals numerous and tubular 

 in the dilk. Female florets fewer, and tu- 

 bular in the circurrifen nee 

 Individuals with chives and pointals funnel- 

 ihaped, much lliorter than the empalement; 

 border with five clefts, fpreading. 

 Individuals with only pointals, tubular the 

 length of the hermaphrodites, five cleft, 

 and rather fmaller. 



Chives. The threads in the hermaphrodites are 

 fi\e, and very final! . Tips forming a cylin- 

 der, tubular almofl the length of the florets. 



PoiNTAL. Seed-bud of the hermaphrodites 

 fhort. Shaft thread-fhaped, longer than 

 the chives. Summit cloven. 

 Seed-bud of the female florets the fame as 

 the hermaphrodites. Shaft thread-fhaped 

 the length of the hermaphrodites. Sum- 

 mits two, oblong and bent back. 



Seed-vessel none. Empalement fearcely 

 changing. 



Seehs oblong, and crowned with a feather. 



Receptacle naked, flatiih, and dotted. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Xeranthemum fruticofum, crecfum; fbliis am- 

 plexicaulibus, lanceolatis, trinerviis; ramis 

 unifloris, fubundis. 



Everlafting flower with an upright fhrubbv ftem ; 

 leaves embracing the ftem, lance-fhaped, 

 and three-nerved; brancheswith one flower, 

 and nearly naked. 







REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. An Hermaphrodite floret, (natural fize). 



2. The Chives, Pointal, and Seed-'oad, (magnified). 



3. The Pointal, and Seed-bud from a female floret, (magnified). 



This handfome fpecies of Xeranthemum was introduced, according to the Kcw catalogue, by Mr. F. 

 Maffon from the Cape of Good Hope, in the year 1/8J; it is, nevertheless, a very fcarce plant, bting 

 fubjecr. to decay from our winter damps; therefore requires a dry ftove for its protection. The blof- 

 foms (or rather the flower-cups, for they are the perfiftrnt parts) are eafily preferved for many years, 

 in all their brilliancy, by cutting them, when they fir ft expand; but our atmofphere feems uncon- 

 genial to the ripening of their feeds, and is with great difficulty increafed bv cuttings. The foil it 

 molt approves is fairly peat, with a fmall portion of loam. Our figure was taken in September latt 

 year, at the Hammerfmith nurfery. 



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