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P L A T E cm.
P R O T E A SPECIOSA, 7iigra.
Blacl-fiowei^ed Protea.
C L A S S IV. ORDER L
TETRANDRU MONOGYNIA. Four Chives. One Pointal.
E S S E N T I A L GENERIC CHAEACTEH.
COHOLLA 4-fida, feu4-petala. Anthera; lineares,
infertae petalis infra apicem. Calyx
proprius, nullus. Sera, folitaria.
BLOSSOM 4-cleft, or of 4 petals. Tips Ijnear,
inferted into the petals below the points.
Cup proper, none. Seeds folitary.
See PROTEA FORMOSA, Vol. I. Plate XVII.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER.
Protea foliis longis, lineari-Ianceolatis; fquamae
calycinoe interiores apice incurvata;, barbatae,
nigrae.
Protea with long leaves, between linear and
lance-fliaped; the inner fcales of the empalement
are turned inward at the end,
bearded, and black.
R E F E R E N C E TO'THE PLATE.
1. A Bloflbm complete, as it flands in the Empalement.
2. The four Petals of the Flower thrown open, to ihew the fituation and charader of the tips.
3. The Seed-bud, Shaft, and Summit.
IT is to the curious and beautiful ftrufture of the empalement, (the flowers being nearly concealed
within it,) that this fpecies of Protea owes its fpecific title, and for which it is fo much admired. There
are different varieties of it, which are confidered by Thunberg, in his Diff. de Prot. of 1781, as diftinft
fpecies; but which are certainly only varieties of one ftock: we have drawings of two of thefe, the one
tieih-coloured, the other white; and hope to be able to demonftrate as juft, our poftulatum, when the
fynonims are given, as propofed, at the clofe of this volume. This plant was firft introduced to the
Royal Gardens at Kew, from the Cape of Good Hope, in 1780, by Mr. F. MaiTon: it flowers at a very
eariy age, and when the Item is not more than two feet high, moffly from the centre or leading
branch of the plant. It is propagated by cuttings, which Ihould be put in about the end of May,
three or four, at mofl, in a pot, filled with good fliff loam, which ihould be prelTed hard to the lower
end of the cuttings, and the pot placed under a hand-glafs in the ihade. When the plants are to be
removed into feparate pots, it will be neceffary to add a fmall portion of peat earth to the loam, and
place them in an airy and dry part of the greenhoufe. Thefe direaions are neceffary to be obferved,
in the culture of nearly every fpecies of this extended genus. Our figure was taken in the month o-f
July 1799, from a plant in the Hibbertian colleaion, Clapham-common.
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