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P L A T E CCXCIIL
L A C H N ^ A PURPUREA.
Purple-flowered Lachncea.
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C L A S S VIIL ORDER L
OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Eight Chives. One Pointal.
E S S E N T I A L GENERIC CHARACTER.
C A L Y X nullus. Corolla quadrifida; limbo in-
Eequali. Semen unum, fub-baccatum.
CUP none. Bloffom four-cleft; border unequal.
One feed, like a berry.
S e e LACHNJEA EEIOCEPHALA, PI. C I V . Vol. II,
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER.
Lachnaea capitulis folitariis; corollis glabris,
purpureis; foliis trigonis,. obtufis, q^uadrifariam
imbricatis.
Lachnsa with folitary heads of flowers; bloffoms
fmooth, purple; leaves three-fided,
obtufe, tiled in four-rows.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. One of the floral Leaves, which furround the head of flowers at the bafe.
2. A Flower complete.
3. A Bloffom cut open, the lower part cut off, to fliew the infertion of the
Chives at the mouth.
4. The Pointal, natural fize.
5. The fame magnified.
T H I S moft fingular genus of plants, in external appearance fo refembling pafferina, yet fo perfedly
diftina in the parts of fruaification, is certainly amongil the handfomeft of the natural order in which
it ranks. The long flender chives which extend nearly to the length of the border of the bloffom, independent
of the fingular retrofraaion of one of its fegments, give it a charaaer, we think, decidedly
fufficient on which to have formed the Genus. This is the third fpecies known; it was introduced
to the Hibbertian colleaion, in 1800, by Mr. Niven, from the Cape of Good Hope. It is a very delicate
plant, lubjea to be deftroyed by damps, flowers in July, and may be increafed by cuttings. It
thrives beft in a mixture of light fand and loam.
Thunberg, in bis Prod. Plant. Cap. has referred the whole genus to Passerina.
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