clothed with short spreading hairs. Flowers very large,
3 inches across, of a dark azure blue, a little nodding. Peduncles
pubescent, cylindrical. Calyx of 5 sepals, deciduous
; sepals divaricately spreading, broadly ovate, tapering
towards the point, which ends abruptly as if snipt off, folded
in towards the base, to make room for the large hollow
spurs of the petals, more or less rugose, unguiculate, of a
dark blue, brown at the points, slightly pubescent towards
the base. Petals 5, alternate with the sepals, affixed by the
centre, of rather a lighter blue, broadly wedge-shaped, each
terminated at the back into a long hollow spur, the point of
which is hooked inwards, and is more or less pubescent.
Stamens numerous, surrounding the ovariums, the filaments
unequal in length, produced in sets, attached to the base of
the anthers: sterile ones dilated and membranaceous, bearing
no anthers.
Our drawing of this very rare and magnificent plant was
taken in June last, at the Nursery of Messrs. Whitley,
Brames, and Milne, at Fulham, where it was in fine bloom
for a considerable time, and has ripened its seeds, so that
we hope it will soon become more common, as it ought to
be in every collection. The plant from which our drawing
was made, was grown in the open border, and was thriving
with great luxuriance, so that we believe it has generally
been lost hy being confined in pots; it prefers a rich loamy
soil, and the seeds should be sown as soon as ripened; the
plants will then become strong before Winter, and will
bloom the following Summer.
1. One o f the Sepals. 2. One o f the Petals, showing the large spur at the
base, a little curved at the end. 3. One o f the barren Stamens. 4. One o f the
fertile ones. 5. The 6 Carpella nearly full grown.