and glossy, with a long taper point, green, tinged with
purple: sepals 3, oblongly lanceolate, concave, the
margins scariose and membranaceous. Petals 5, ob-
cordate, distinct to the base, a little cupped, margins
slightly crenulate, of a golden yellow, with a large
black spot a little above the base, edged with purple.
Stamens between 40 and 50, overtopping the stigma:
filaments very unequal in length, smooth and very
slender, bright yellow: anthers dark purple: pollen
bright yellow. Germen clothed with silky hairs. Style
very short, erect. Stigma capitate, 3-lobed, papillose,
flesh-coloured.
This very handsome species, of which there is a good
figure in Cavanille’s leones, is very often confused in
the collections with H. algarvense, as is several other
species that are belonging to the same section ; we have
had them all sent to us as H. algarvense, though different
in every respect from that species, except in colour.
The present plant is a native of the South of
Europe, so that it requires the protection of a frame
in Winter, or to be planted against a south wall, and
to be covered with mats in severe frosty weather; or if
planted in rock-work, it should be placed on the south
side, and should be covered with a mat or by some
other means in sharp frosty weather, but in mild weather,
the more it is exposed the better: it succeeds well
in a light sandy soil, or if grown in pots, an equal
mixture of sandy loam and peat will suit it very well.
Cuttings taken off at a joint in the young wood, and
planted under a hand-glass, the latter end of Summer,
or in Autumn, will soon strike root, and will be nice
bushy flowering plants by Spring. Our drawing was
made from a plant at the Nursery of Mr. Colvill, in
July, 1823; the plant from which it was taken was
rather drawn up in a greenhouse ; it generally grows
more compact.