gins. Petals 5, elliptic, distinctly spreading, longer than 
the calyx, strongly fringed at the base, of a bluish lilac. 
Filaments 10, united at the base, 5 bearing anthers ; fer- 
tile ones winged at the base with subulate points. Stigmas 
5, short and flat, sessile, spreading, dark purple. Arista s 
very long, spiral at the base, from the middle to the point 
feathered, with long white feathered hairs. 
This curious and rare plant is generally considered as 
an annual, but the one from which our drawing was taken 
has already survived two years, and appears likely to prove 
perennial, as it is now making strong young shoots, below 
the flower stems, that are all dying away, so that if the 
plant was only biennial, we suspect it would have went oflf 
altogether at the same time, instead of making youn^ healthy 
shoots. 
Our plant was raised from a seed given us by Mr. 
Hunneman, who received it from Germany ; whether or 
not it will prove hardy enough to survive our winters in 
the open air, remains to be ascertained, as the last one can 
scarcely be called a winter at all, but we intend to try it, as 
our plant has produced abundance of seeds. 
