they, as well as the apex of the leaf, armed with a long stiff spinous 
point. Flowers very much crowded together in a fasciculated 
corymb. Involucre imbricated, unguiculate; the squama3 and 
bracts lanceolately subulate, the top consisting of a lengthened spread¬ 
ing three-cornered spiny mucro. Receptacle dotted, thickly clothed 
with villous hairs. Florets five, hermaphrodite, forming a very 
short ray, of a most beautiful and enduring blue colour, the outer lip 
roundish, oval, spreading, concave beneath, obtusely three-toothed, 
the interior of a pale yellow, bipartite, revolute, twice as short as the 
exterior; segments linear, lanceolate, obtuse, agglutinate at the mar¬ 
gins. Anthers terminated by an acute lanceolate appendage, blue 
at the top, having at the base two petals; the setae simple, naked, attenu¬ 
ated. Stigma two-parted ; segments linear, convex below ; the apex 
spreading truncate, minutely papillose. Achenia obpyramidally three- 
cornered, attenuated at the base, smooth. Pappus exerted, of a snowy 
white, and most beautiful appearance; consisting of three rays, pale¬ 
aceous, linear, canaliculate, caducous, the top recurvately spreading, 
forming a feathery pencil. 
Popular and Geographical Notice. This genus consists of 
herbaceous plants, natives of Chili. The present species has a con- 
considerable geographical range, being found near Valparaiso, the city 
of Conception, and as far south as between Valdivia and Osoro, in 
fields and plains. It is extremely well worth cultivating, not only from 
contrast of colour of the outer and inner lip of the corolla, but on 
account of the enduring nature of the colour of the flowers, which 
renders it a very great favourite with the inhabitants of Chili, who term 
it Siempreviva, and employ it extensively for ornamental purposes. 
It is remarkable that the part of the corollas which is blue, instantly 
becomes white on immersion in warm water. It has other claims to 
regard, for being intensely bitter, it proves a valuable remedial agent 
in many diseases. 
Introduction; Where grown; Culture. It was first raised 
in this country in 1827. The specimen drawing was obligingly sent 
to us in July, by Mr. Philip Frost, from the garden of the Countess of 
Grenville, at Dropmore; and is now, at the end of twelve months, as 
brilliant in colour as when gathered. It has tuberous roots, should 
be repotted after flo\vering, in sandy loam and leaf mould; and kept 
in a cool greenhouse. 
Derivation of the Names. 
Triptilion, from Tpric three, and tttiKov a plume, alluding to the soft feather¬ 
like character of the pappus or seed-down. Spinosum, from spina a thorn, 
alluding to the pointed termination of the leaves. 
SVNONYME. 
Triptilion spinosum, Ruiz and Pavon : Systema Veget. 1, 185. 
Naussauvia spinosa. Don in Philos. Mag. 1832, p.390. 
Triptilion laciniatum. Wild. sp. Ill, p. 1628. 
