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P L A T E CCCLX.
R E N E A L M I A NUTANS.
Drooping-ßow er ed Henea Imi a.
C L A S S I . ORDER I.
MONANDRI/! MONOGYNIA. One Chive. One Pointai.
G E N E R I C
CALYX. Perianthium fiiperum, monophyllum,
apice riimpeus in duo feu tres dentes irregulares.
COROLLA monopetala. Tubus refitus, cylindricus;
Hmbus trifidus; laciniis duabus fuperioribus
oblongis, rotundatis, iequalibus ;
inferiore fuperioribus vi.K longiore, canaliculata,
oblonga.
Vectarium tubo corrollae adnatum, fub laciniis
fuperioribus adfcendens, reétum, longitudine
corolla, oblongum, bafi utrinque unidentatum,
tum finu escavato, apice dilatatura
et obtufe trilobatnm.
STAMEN. Filanientum nullum. Antliera unica,
fauci tubi iiiferta, in finu laciniiE inferioris
corollse, neflario oppofita, libera, re£ta, linearis,
emarginata, interius fulco exarata,
l o n g i t u d i n e et latitudine lacini£e corolla;.
PiSTiLLUM. (iermen inferum, oblongum, obfolete
triquetrum, glabrum. Stylus filiformis,
glaberrimus, ereñus, longitudine
corollse. Stigma pel tatum; capitulo plano;
latere ad neétarium vergente truncato, perforato,
foramine in ftylum decurrente.
PEKICARPIUM. Bacca oblonga, trifulca, teres,
glabra, umbilico terminata ; carnofa, in
medio trilocularis, Loculamenta mollia,
membranacea.
SEMINA plurima, oblonga, truncata, tetragona,
glaberrima.
S P E C I F I C
Renealmia foliis vaginantibus ; floribus racemofis
terminal ibus pendulis ; fru(Stu pilofo.
CHARACTER.
EMPALEMENT. Cup above, one-leafed, breaking
open into two or three irregular teeth.
BLOSSOM on petal. Tube flraight, cylindrical;
border three-cleft; the two upper fegments
oblong, rounded, equal ; the lower one,
icarcely longer than the upper ones, channelled,
oblong.
Honey cup fixed to the tube of the bloflbnn,
afcending beneath the upper fegment
flraight the length of the blolfom, oblong
one-toothed on each fide of the bafe, then
with a hollow bofom widening at the end
and obtufely three-lohed.
CHIVE. Thread, none. Tip one inferted into
the throat of the tube, in the bofom of the
lower fegment of the bloflbm, oppofite to
the honey-cup, free, flraight, linear, notched
at the end, grooved on the infide, of the
fame length and breadth as the fegment of
the blolfom.
PoiNTAL. Seed-bud beneath, oblong, obfcurely
three-fided, fmooth. Shaft ihread-ihaped,
very fmooth, upright the lengt h of the bloflbm.
Summit fhield-lliaped ; with a flat
head, the fide fronting the honey-cup appearing
cut off, perforated by a hole runn
i n g into the fliaft.
SEED VESSEL. Berry oblong, three-furrowed,
cylindrical, fmooth, terminated by a navel,
flefliy in the middle, three-celled. Cells
f o f t , fldnny.
SEEDS numerous,oblong,appear ing cut off, fourcornered,
very fmooth.
CHARACTER.
Renealmia with flieathing leaves; flowers in
bunches terminating the branches, hanging
down, fruit Iiairy.
R E F E R E N C E TO THE PLATE.
1. K miniature reprefentation of the plant. 2. The ouler Iheath of the bloflbm.
3. A flower complete. 4. The Honey cup. 5. The Chive, Pointal, and Seed-bud.
a . The Pointal and Seed-bud cleared of tlie fmall inner fliealh which furrounds the bafe of the chive
and fliaft; with thefummi t detached and magnified.
7. One of the fmall corpufculae which embrace the bafe of the fliaft, magnified.
8. The fmall flieath which crowns the feed-bud, magnified.
9. The Seed-bud, cut tranfverfely, magnified.
AMONGST the numerous new plants introduced from China by the late Mr . Slater, of Laytonftone, in
t h e year 1793, this is certainly to be confidered as amongft the moft beautiful. The only drawback
to its general merit, as a hot houfe plant, is the great height to which it might attain before it flowers;
being in common fourteen or fifteen feet. It propagates by offsets, and is kept with little trouble;
as it will flourilli in almoft any foil, and will flower, if fet in any part of the hot-houfe, fo as not to
i n t e r r u p t its g rowth, the bloffoms being produced only from the fummi t . Although with us the ftem
is permanent , as wi t h fome others of the fame natural habit, yet it cannot, we think, with propriety
be confidered as either a tree or fhrub, but rather herbaceous. Some contention, at firft, arofe
whether this plant fliould be referred to the prefent Genus; which was formed, by the younger
Linnaeus, from a plant a native of Surinam, S. America, fome of the parts not exaflly correfponding,
efpecially the f rui t ; we have neverthelefs made no fcruple in placing it to that Genus, with whicli,
upon an infpeftiou of the diflefitions, it will be found very well to accord. Our figure was taken from
a plant which flowers, annually, in the month of July, in the Colleftion of J. Vere, Efq. Kenfington
Gore.