Volume 6 — PLATE CCCLXXIV.

XERANTHEMUM PROLIFERUM.

Proliferous Eternal Flower.

CLASS XIX. ORDER II.

SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. Tips united. Superfluous Pointals.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Receptaculum paleaceum, aut nudum. Pappus setaceus. Calyx imbricatus, radiatus; radio colorato.

Receptacle chaffy, or naked. Feather bristly. Empalement tiled, rayed; the ray coloured.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER, &C.

Xeranthemum, caule fruticoso prolifero, floribus sessilibus, foliis granulato-subrotundis imbricatis obsoletis.

Xeranthemum, with a shrubby proliferous stem, sessile flowers, leaves grain-shaped roundish tiled and obsolete.

Xeranthemum proliferum. Mant. Pl. 467.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. 2. 1218.

Descriptio. Frutex erectus, proliferus, tripedalis et ultra. Rami teretes, lanâ densâ, niveâ undique vestiti; et ramulis numerosissimis, incipientibus, brevissimis, sæpe quasi reflexo-imbricatis, instructi. Flores solitarii magni, squamis calycinis lanceolatis, lætissimæ et profundissime rubicundis, basin versus valde lanatis, superioribus sensim majoribus.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

Few genera of plants attract attention so universally and deservedly, as those of the genus Xeranthemum. All the species it contains are at once the favourites of the Botanist, the Gardener, and the Florist. The former, with pleasing satisfaction, contemplates their polished beauties still undiminished in his herbarium; while the latter find them (if sufficiently guarded from humidity) of easy management and ready growth. They bloom annually, and their durable and highly finished empalements are gathered and used in decorating many a mantle-piece; long, very long after they have ceased to live: whence the name of Eternal Flower. Many species of Gnaphalium possess a similar durability; and we have seen dried bouquets of both united, which were extremely beautiful.

The proliferous Eternal Flower is shrubby, commences flowering in May, lasts a long time in bloom, and in point of singularity and showiness yields to few of its congeners. It is a Cape plant: succeeds with the treatment of several species figured before by us; and is propagated by cuttings: was introduced some years since. Our figure was made from the Clapham collection.