It forms a neat pretty shrub, which is rendered more desirable by its early flowering; its blossoms are pure white, set off by Antheræ of a lively purple colour; the whole plant has a strong scent very like that of Pennyroyal, but more powerful. This shrub is one of the many which have been raised within these few years from Botany-Bay seeds, is a greenhouse plant, of easy culture, blows freely, and is readily increased by cuttings. Descr. Twigs somewhat angular, reddish purple; Leaves opposite, narrow, on very short footstalks, spreading, slightly truncated at the extremity, finely toothed, a transparent gland in the angle of each tooth, beset on both sides with numerous glands, which project and give to the upper surface a manifest roughness; Flowers from the alæ of the leaves, opposite, on peduncles about one-third of an inch long, usually supporting one, sometimes two flowers; Calyx composed of five leaves which are tinged with red and permanent; Corolla five petals, white, ovato-lanceolate; Stamina filaments five, white, hairy, at first upright, afterwards bending back betwixt the petals; Antheræ before they open purple; Pollen yellow; Nectaries of two kinds, five white, springing up between each filament, and which may perhaps be considered as so many imperfect stamina, they are broader, much smoother, and about one-third of the length of the filaments, terminating in a transparent gland instead of an anthera; five green, forming a kind of calyx to the germen, from the top of which they spring, they consist of five roundish, fleshy, spreading, green leaves, edged with hairs; besides these, there is a glandular ring at the base of the germen; Style white, tapering, very hairy; Stigma simple; Flowers usually dropping off without ripening the seeds. [457] [Illustration: Nº. 457] Aloe Plicatilis. Fan Aloe. _Class and Order._ Hexandria Monogynia. _Generic Character._ _Cor._ erecta, ore patulo, fundo nectarifero. _Filam._ receptaculo inserta. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ ALOE _plicatilis_ subacaulis, foliis linguæformibus lævibus distichis, floribus racemosis pendulis cylindricis. _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 470._ ALOE _disticha_ var. [Greek: e]. _Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 459._ ALOE _plicatilis_ foliis ensiformibus inermis ancipitibus, floribus laxe spicatis, caule fruticoso. _Mill. Dict. ed. 6. 4to._ ALOE africana arborescens montana non spinosa, folio longissimo plicatili, flore rubro. _Comm. Hort. 2. p. 5. t. 3._ "The Fan Aloe grows to the height of six or seven feet, with a strong stem, towards the upper part of which are produced two, three, or four heads, composed of long, compressed, pliable leaves, of a sea-green colour, and ending obtusely; these are placed in a double row, lying over each other, with their edges the same way; the flowers are produced in short loose spikes, are of a red colour, and appear at different times of the year." _Mill. Dict._