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PODOLEPIS, Lab. THE PODOLEPIS. 
Lin. Sgst. Syngenesia Superflua. Nat. Ord. Composite. 
Generic Character. —Head heterogamous. Flowers of tlie ray female, ligulate, or nearly 
tubular ; those of the disk hermaphrodite and tubular. Receptacle paleaceous. In- 
volucrum campanulate, of many series of scales. Outer scales sessile, diaphanous ; inner 
ones stipatite. Anthers setiferous at the base. Achania oblong, with a lateral areola. 
Pappus in one series, and rather combined at the base. 
Description, &c.— The genus Podolepis is already known to the 
cultivators of ornamental flowers, from the very pretty little pink annual 
called Podolepis gracilis. That plant, as well as the present one, was a 
native of South Western Australia, whence it was introduced in 1827, 
and it has ever since been a favourite in gardens. There are three or 
four other species, all natives of Australia. Podolepis signifies a scaly 
foot, in allusion to the scaly involucre. 
1.—PODOLEPIS ARISTATA, Benth. THE' BEARDED PODOLEPIS. 
Engraving.— Our fig. 1, in t. 4. 
Specific Character. —Stem herbaceous, glabrous or woolly. Leaves stem-clasping at the 
base, oblong-lanceolate, somewhat cob webbed above, and clothed with white wool 
beneath. Scales of involucrum acute, awned, yellow, never wrinkled, as in most of the 
other species. Flowers of the ray rather tubular, deeply quadrifid. 
Description, &c.— This very pretty plant has numerous heads of 
flowers, which are corymbose at the top of the stem ; and thus look at a 
little distance like a cluster of large yellow flowers. The involucrum is 
campanulate, and it consists of a number of large, loose, transparent scales, 
which give the plant the appearance of a yellow Rhodanthe. The plant 
is a native of the Swan River settlement, whence seeds were sent to 
Captain Mangles in the spring of 1840; and some of them, which were 
given by Captain Mangles to Mr. Hopgood, vegetated, and the young 
plants produced flowers late in the autumn, from one of which our figure 
was taken. The plant will probably prove a half-hardy annual, which, 
if sown in a slight hotbed in February or March, will be ready for planting- 
out in May; or which may be sown in April or May in the open border. 
Probably, if raised in pots and frequently transplanted, it will form a 
large bush with hundreds of flowers, as is the case with the Rhodanthe 
Manglesii; and from the similarity in form, yet striking difference in 
colour, the two plants would produce a very good effect in beds, in a 
geometric flower-garden'; or in pots or boxes for a veranda. The plants 
grown by Mr. Hopgood had long slender stems, but they were drawn up 
by having been kept under glass. 
VOL. I.—NO. IV. 
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