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P L A T E CCCXT.IX.
P R O T E A DECUMBENS.
Slender-Jiemed Protea.
CLASS IV. ORDER L
TETRANDRIA AIONOGYNIA. Four Cliives. One Pointal.
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ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTEE.
COROLLA 4-fida feu 4-petala. Antherae lineares,
infertas petalis infra apicem.
C A L Y X proprius nullus. Semina foUtaria.
BLOSSOM 4-cleft or 4-petalled. Tips linear, inferted
into the petals below the point.
CUP, proper, none. Seeds folitary.
See PBOT E A FOKMOSA, PL XVI I . Vol. I.
•••ffT!! SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Protea foliis bi-pinnatis, filiformibus; capitulis
terminalibus, feifilibus; floribus incarnatisi
bradeolatis ; caule tenue, decumbente.
Protea with doubly winged leaves, threadihaped;
fmall heads of flowers fitting clofc
on the ends of the branches ; flowers fleflicoloured
with fmall floral leaves; ftem
.flender and bending downwards.
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REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A Leaf.
2. One of the Floral Leaves, magnified.
3. A Floret, complete.
4. One of the Petals, with its Chive at the point, magnified.
5. The Pointal, with the Summit detached and magnified.
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F R O M the great number of new fpecies of the divided leaved Proteas, we are led to conjefture, that
they are as numerous as thofe with entire leaves. The P. decumbens, from the diiferent fpecimens
we have feen, appears to branch into many varieties; fome with hairy leaves and flems, fome with
very clofe thick fet leaves, and fome, with both ftems and leaves, quite fmooth. They are all, neverthelefs,
veiy flender ftemed; and, there is little doubt but, in their natural ilate, they reft on the
ground; although in the faihion we train them here, they have the appearance of being ereft. This
fpecies is found at a confiderable diftance from the Cape Town, on the summits of dry fandy hills;
wherefore, it muft be kept in the moft airy part of the green-houfe, and watered but feldom. The
flem does not grow more than eighteen inches long, and frequently flowers, as was the cafe in the
prefent inflance, when not more than twelve. It is propagated, readily, from cuttings made in the
month of May, if treated in the method already direfted for the increafe of thefe plants. The earth
in which it fliould be planted is, a light fandy bright loam. Our drawing was taken in the month of
July, 1802, from a plant in the Hibbertian Colleaion, to which it was introduced by Mr . Niven, in
the year 1800.
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