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HELICHRYSUM, Lin. THE EVERLASTING FLOWER. 
Lin. Syst. Syngenesia Superflua. Nat. Ord. Compositse. 
Generic Character. —Receptacle naked. Pappus hairy or feathery. Involucre imbricated, 
radiated. Ray coloured. 
Description, &c. The common yellow annual everlasting, Helichry- 
§um bracteatum , is so well known in gardens that it needs only to be 
mentioned to recall its image to all my readers; and H. macranthum , 
though only lately introduced, has become almost as great a favourite. 
Most of the species are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and these are 
only half-hardy in British gardens; and many of them are greenhouse 
shrubs. The colours of the species are generally yellow or purple, but 
some of the kinds are white, pink, or cream-coloured. 
1.—HELICHRYSUM SPECTABILE, G. Don. THE SHOWY EVERLASTING. 
Engraving. —Our Plate 9. 
Specific Character. —Stem erect, glabrous ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, shining, 
rather scabrous along the margins, entire, lower ones subspatulate, narrowed into the 
petioles ; heads homogamous, corymbose, on long bracteate peduncles, lateral peduncles 
longer than the central ones ; bracteas small, lanceolate ; scales of involucrum white, 
mucronate at length, split at apex ; outer ones ovate, shorter, inner ones longer, lanceo¬ 
late ; receptacle naked ; pappus scabrous or pilose, bearded at apex.— G. Don. 
Description, &c. —This species is a native of the Swan River settle¬ 
ment. The stem is two or three feet in height. The leaves are some¬ 
what stem-clasping at the base. The scales of the involucrum are green 
at their bases, the outer ones are short, but gradually increase in length; 
but those next the flowers are the narrowest and smallest. The flowers are 
yellow. This species comes nearest to H.^macranthum of Bentham, but 
differs from that plant in several respects. It may be what is called in gar¬ 
dens, H. macranthum var. album , but I have never seen that plant. G. Don. 
The above specific character and description were sent to me by my kind 
friend Mr. George Don; and I have only to add that the plant was 
raised from Swan River seeds (imported last spring by Captain 
Mangles) by Mr. Hopgood, of the Craven Nursery, Bayswater, in 
whose garden it is now in flower. It is a very large and handsome 
half-hardy annual, and it promises to be a very desirable acquisition to 
our gardens. It is very much like H. niveum. 
VOL. i.—NO. IX. L L 
