POINCIANA PULCHERRIMA. 
(very pretty flower-fence.) 
ORDER. 
MONOGYNIAo 
1SATURAL ORDER, 
LEGUMINOS^. 
Generic Character.— Ca/^/.¥ five-parted. Petals five, clawed, and notclied. Stamens long, all fertile. 
Pod compressed, two-valved, about four inches long. 
Specific Character. — A shrub, eight to ten feet high. Branches round, green, spotted with whitish 
spots, and prickly. Leaves alternate, bipinnate, six or eight inches long, spreading. Leafits about 
nine pairs, oblong, elliptical, rounded, smooth, bluish-green, paler beneath. Flowers large, orange- 
red, in a terminal corymbose raceme. Flower-stalks an inch long, cylindrical, pale green at the 
base, becoming red upwards. Calyx m five ovate-oblong, thin, membranaceous, orange-red segments. 
Petals five, spatulate, much larger than the calyx, bright orange-red, beautifully waved, notched, and 
veined. Stamens ten, separate. Filaments two inches or more long, filiform, bright crimson. 
Anthers dark red, attached by the middle. Style shorter than the stamens ; thick at the base, and 
tapering upwards ; same colour as the filaments. 
This splendid ornament to our stoves is a native of both the Indies ; where it 
is said to be planted in hedges, whence the name of flower-fence. It was introduced 
so long- since as 1690 or 91, but is still a scarce plant in collections. 
It requires a very strong heat to make it flower in perfection, and should there- 
fore be placed in a hot and damp part of the stove. It does not grow very tall> but 
forms a very ornamental shrub ; the delicate, blue, pinnated leaves, and, when in 
flower, the splendour of the blossoms, render it a striking and very desirable plant. 
The plant grows freely in a mixture of sandy heath mould and rich loam ; and 
is readily increased by cuttings, which strike freely in sand under a bell-glass in 
heat. The plant also bears seeds, which may be sown in any light soil. 
The generic name was given by Tournefort, in honour of M. de Poinci, a great 
patron of botany. 
The plant may be purchased at a moderate cost of almost any of the nursery- 
men in town and country. 
CLASS. 
DECANDRIA. 
