facing to one side, beaked below. Fruit 4-celled, clothed
with a thin skin, four-parted, ealch cell one-seeded.
Our drawing of this elegant and stately plant, was taken
from fine specimens sent to us by the kindness of Robert
Barclay, Esq. from his superb collection at Bury-hill; the
plant had been procured for Mr. Barclay by Mr. Hunnemann,
who received it from the Royal Botanic Garden at Berlin,
in 1828; it is a native of Monte Video, and thrives well in
the borders of the flower garden, making a fine appearance
when covered with its numerous spikes of small purple
flowers : as it attains so great a height, it should be planted
at some distance from the edge of the flower bed, or border,
and must be protected by being tied to a stake, or it will be
liable to be broken by the wind : it succeeds well in the
common garden soil, and the richer and more light that is,
the stronger will be its growth ; after flowering, and when
it is cut down in Winter, it will require a little protection
should there be any severe frost; a common garden pot
placed over it, or the covering of a mat, or a little litter of
any kind, will protect it sufficiently. I t may be increased
by seed, or by dividing at the root. We have now a plant of
Alstroemeria Simsii, that hath stood several Winters with us
with no other protection than a single mat thrown over the
bed in severe weather ; it flowered and seeded with us last
Summer, and has stood this Winter so well, that it is now
about four inches high, and has already thrown up sixteen
strong shoots. A. hirtella has also stood out several years with
us, flowering and ripening its seeds every year; we have
also had out this Winter, A. Flos Martini and A. Hookeri,
both of which have stood the Winter well, and are now
growing freely.
For the derivation of the generic name of this plant, see
folio 9, of the present series.
1. Calyx, with a bracte at its base. 2. Tube of the Corolla laid open, to show the
insertion of tlie four stamens. 3. Ovarium terminated by the Style and beaked Stigma.