MUTISIA ILICIFOLIA. 
(Holly-leaved Mutisia.) 
Class. Order. 
SYNGENESIA. POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA, 
Natural Order. 
ASTERACEJE. 
Generic Character.— Involucrum cylindrical, im- i 
bricated, clothed with scales ; scales lax. Receptacle 
naked. Florets of the disk hermaphrodite, tubular, 
five-toothed, separating at the top into two to five equal 
segments, or three unequal ones. Anthers bisetose. 
Florets of the ray feminine, two-lipped, outer lip 
ligulate, tridentate ; inner one smaller, bipartite 
(rarely entire or none) ; rudimentary filaments five.— 
Hooker, Bot. Mag., v. liv., t. 2705. 
Specific Character. — A scandent plant, rising to a 
considerable height. Stems and branches angular. 
Leaves alternate, cordate, aculeate at the edges, ex- 
stipulate, nearly sessile, the midrib continuing in the 
form of a long tendril, slightly downy whilst young, 
but becoming glabrous when old. Peduncles axillary, 
long, with two or three small ovate-lanceolate bractece, 
and bearing a single large showy flower. Involucre 
long, cylindrical, consisting of four tiers of loose scales. 
Florets of the ray, ten, female, each composed of a long 
slender tube, two-lipped, the lower lip ligulate, of a beau- 
tiful purple colour, the inner one small, cut into two 
narrow revolute segments. Style long. Pappus feathery, 
more than half the length of the floret. Florets of the 
disk tubular, yellow, five-parted at the apex. Anthers 
long, yellow-green, longer than the tube of the floret, 
each having two long seta? at the base. 
At least twelve species of this pretty genus have been described, but only three 
are yet introduced. All are deserving of cultivation, and our present subject is by 
no means the least interesting. 
It is a native of Chili, whence it was introduced a few years ago by Messrs. 
Hugh Low and Son, of the Clapton Nursery ; and although it has by them been 
sent to various parts of the country, it is yet far from common. 
The plant is a neat-growing evergreen, with hard leaves like those of a holly, a 
creeping habit, and is a free flowerer ; and although its flowers are less showy than 
those of some other plants, yet being nearly hardy, of easy culture, forming a good 
evergreen cover against a wall, and not being liable to become naked at the bottom, 
are merits which ought not to be lost sight of. 
We are indebted for the figure from which our plate was prepared to Mr. John 
Roy, jun., Aberdeen, who some years ago received a plant from Messrs. Low and 
Son, which was planted against a south wall in his garden, and has flourished there 
ever since, without any other protection than that afforded by the wall. The 
drawing was made by a young lady resident in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen. 
Although flowering freely every year, it has not yet ripened seeds ; that gentleman 
