NAT. ORDER. SCITAMINEJE 
139 
This plant has all its leaves radical, petioled, oblong - , quite 
entire, with the margin at the bottom waved and curled, very 
smooth, glaucous beneath, coriaceous, a foot long, and permanent ; 
the petioles are somewhat compressed, three feet long and more, 
about the thickness of the thumb, sheathing, erect and smooth ; the 
scape is about the length and thickness of the petioles, erect, round, 
covered with alternate, remote, acuminate sheaths, which are green, 
with a purple margin ; the general spathe is about a span long, green 
on the outside, purple at the edge ; the partial spathes are whitish ; 
the petals yellow, and about four inches long ; the nectary blue : ac- 
cording to Curtise, the spathe contains about six or eight flowers, 
which, becoming vertical as they spring forth, form a kind of crest, 
which the glowing orange of the corolla, and fine azure of the nec- 
tary, render truly superb. This plant is a native of the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
Propagation and Culture. These plants are raised from seeds, 
brought from their native situation, and sown in pots of good fine 
mould, placed in a hot bed to increase their early flowering ; the 
plants, when of some growth, should be removed into separate pots, 
and be replaced in a tan-pit of the stove ; afterwards when the 
plants are large, they should have plenty of mould, that the roots 
may be extended into the rotten tan, and in that way render them 
more strong and hardy for flowering ; it may likewise sometimes be 
raised from the roots, when they are suffered to strike in the above 
manner ; it has been remarked that it will thrive best in the dry 
stove and conservatory. 
