nearly double the breadth of the others, nearly round, with
a dark purple patch at the base, which extends all down the
unguis. Filaments 10, connected at the base, all dilated
downwards with sharp points, 7 bearing anthers, which are
often sterile: barren filaments short and straight. Style
very short, scarcely any. Stigmas 5, purple, long, and
spreading, the points reflexed.
Our drawing of this plant was taken at the Nursery of
Mr. Colvill, where it was raised from seed, last Autumn,
brought from the interior of the Cape by Mr. Synnot; it
has the appearance of an annual or biennial plant, as it
produces no shoots but what are immediately crowded with
flowers; and should it prove so, we fear it will soon be
again lost, as the flowers are all without perfect anthers, so
that we suspect it to be dioecious. It is the only plant of
the kind that we have ever seen, and only knew it from
the figure in L’Heritier’s Geraniologia: should it prove an
annual plant, and hereafter produce seeds, it may be cultivated
in the open borders, where it will make a pretty appearance.
Cuttings of it strike root freely, and it thrives
well in a rich light soil.