

PLATE LII. 



GNIDIA PINIFOLIA. 



Pine-leaved Gnidia. 



CLASS VIII. ORDER T. 



C TJNDR I A MONO G YNU. 



Eight Chives. 



One Pointal. 



GENERIC 



Calyx. Perianthium monophyllum, infundi- 



buliforme, coloratura; tubo filiformi, lon- 



giflimo; limbo quadripartito, piano. 



Corolla. Petala quatuor, feflilia, plana, calyce 



breviora, eique inferta. 



Stamina. Filamenta octo, fetacea, erecta, lon- 

 gitudine ferme floris. Antherae fimplices. 



Pistillum. Germen ovatum. Stylus filiformis, 

 germinis lateri infertus, longitudine ftami- 

 num. Stigma capitatum, hilpidum. 



Pericakpium nullum. Fruftus in fundo ca- 



lycis. 

 Semen unicum, ovatum. 



SPECIFIC 



Gnidia, foliis fparfis, lineari-fubnlatis; ramis 

 verticillatis; floribus aggregatis, termina- 

 libus. 



CHARACTER. 



Emfalement. Cup one leaf, funnel-fhaped and 

 coloured; tube thread-fhaped, very long; 

 border of four fegments, which are flat. 



Blossom. Petals four, fitting clofe to the cup, 

 flat, fhorter than the cup, and fixed within 

 it. 



Chives. Threads eight, awn-like, upright, 

 fcarcely the length of the flower. Tips 

 fimple. 



Pointal. Seed-bud egg-fhaped. Shaft thread- 

 fhaped, fixed into the fide of the feed-bud, 

 and of the length of the chives. Summit 

 headed, and hairy. 



Seed-vessel none. Fruit in the lower part of 

 the cup. 



Seed one, egg-fhaped. 

 CHARACTER. 



Gnidia with fcattered, linearly a wl-fliaped leaves; 

 branches grow in whorls; the flowers termi- 

 nating the branches in clutters. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. A Flower with its feed, (natural fize). 



2. The fame cut open, to fliew the fituation and infertion of the Chives into the tube of the- 



Empalement. 



3. The Pointal, (magnified). 



The efiential diftinguifhing chnra&er, in Paflerina, Gnidia, Struthiola, and Lachnaea, muft certainly 

 be confidered as amongft the flighteft generic divifions made by Linnaeus. It is no fmall difficulty to 

 difiinguifh the bloffom in Gnidia, and Lachnaea, from the empalement in PaflTerina, and Struthiola; 

 the fame exact natural ftruciure being alike in them all; and to us, appear noticeable in their fmall 

 variations, rather as forming fpecific, than geneiic diftinftions. As our plan is not to alter, upon any 

 terms, what has been determinately fettled by that great mafter in the arcana of nature, let our opi- 

 nions be what they will; we are determined to prevent confufion (which has been but little attended 

 to of late), to give it only as fuch, without prefuming upon alteration. But as in the prefent in - 

 fiance, when a plant long named, but otherwife unknown to cultivators, has unfortunately been 

 foilted from its rank by another, no ways anfwering to the characters of the defcriber; we fhall con- 

 fider it as our particular province to rectify the miftake, however generally the error may have, ob- 

 tained. — The Gnidia pinifolia is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, the feeds having been received 

 from thence in 1/95, by Meflrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammerfmith, at whofe nurfery it has flowered, 

 for the firft time in England, in the month of February this year, and where the drawing was taken. 

 It is a hardy greenhoufe plant, but is propagated with difficulty by cuttings; growing to the height 

 of eighteen inches, being moft exquifitely fcented by night, continuing in flower at leaft three months, 

 and thriving beft in a light peat foil. 



A figure of the plant generally known by the name of G. pinifolia, will be given with the next 

 number, to the end our affertions may be properly inveftig-Ued. 



