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• i l j a l ' L
P L A T E CCCVI.
A L E T R I S FRAGRAN8.
Sweet-fcented Aletris.
C L A S S VL ORDER I.
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Six Chives. One Pointal.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTEK.
C O R O L L A infundibuliformis, rugofa. Stamina
inferta laciniarum bafi. Capfula trilocularis.
BLOSSOM funnel-fliaped, wrinkled. Chives inferted
into the bafe of the fegments. Capfule
three-celled.
S e e ALETRI S SAKMENTOSA, PI. L IV.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Aletris caulefcens ; foliis lanceolatis, laxis; floribus
albicantibus, fragrantiffimis.
Aletris with a woody ftem; leaves lance-fliaped,
loofe; flowers whitifh, very fweet-fcented.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A miniature reprefentation of the whole plant.
2. A flower complete, natural fize.
3. The bloffom cut open, with the Chives in their place.
4. The Seed-bud, Shaft and Pointal ; the fummi t detached, magnified.
THE Sweet-fcented Aletris, from the great height it attains before it flowers, which is, from g to
12 feet, and nearly two-thirds of the length of the ftem, without leaves; takes off much from the
merit of this grand plant as cultivated in our colder regions. It is a native of Africa, and muft be
kept in the hot-houfe, in the bark-bed, to have it bloiTom. The flowers are extremely fragrant, open
in the evening and clofe again with the firft rays of the morning fun. It is propagated either by
fuckers, which it fometimes produces, or by cutting oiF fmall portions from the roots; which will
become plants in about three months, if placed in the heat of a ftrong hot-bed; thefe are Hkewife
very fweet-fcented, having the flavour of orris-root, or violets. Our figure was taken from a plant in
the colleftion of J. Vere, Efq. Kenfington Gore, this prefent month of May, 1803.
A fchifm has arifen on the fubjeft of this genus among modern botanifts; from whom we muft,
however, exclude the celebrated author of Miller's New Gardeners'Diftionary; who, in this inftance,
has preferved the genus entire. Three genera have, as ufual, been made out of one; the Cape fpecies
are denominated Veltheimias; thofe known under the names of A. zeylanica and A. guineenfis, are
termed Sanfevieras; A. farinofa and A. fragrans being the only remnants of the original genus. Such
are the happy eiFefts, of modern fcrutiny, upon the works of the antiquated Linnaeus! and fuch might
be the anfwer of thefe illuminati, which poor Gradus, in the farce of ff^/io's the Dupe, gives to his
miftrefs, when queftioned upon the utility of his labours; alas, how elfe fliould our merit be difeovered,
but by elancing from the old track of plain fenfe and nature.