Linnæus originally made this plant a variety of his _Aloe disticha_, the leaves in their mode of growth are indeed truly distichous, few plants afford a better example of such, but they differ materially from those of the real _disticha_ both in form and colour: Mr. Miller, with great propriety, made a distinct species of it, by the name of _plicatilis_, or _Fan Aloe_, which Mr. Aiton has continued; and by the name of _Fan Aloe_ it is very generally known: we may remark, however, that though this term may be justified by the form into which the leaves expand, the _folium plicatile_ of Linnæus is a very different kind of a leaf. Both the foliage and flowers of this plant are very handsome, in the course of many years it grows to a great size; in the Chelsea Garden there are some fine plants of it, which grew there in the time of Miller, by whom it was cultivated in 1731. It is native of Africa, requires the same treatment as the other Aloes, and is propagated by dividing and planting its heads. [458] [Illustration: Nº. 458] Aristea Cyanea. Grass-Leaved Aristea. _Class and Order._ Triandria Monogynia. _Generic Character._ _Petala 6._ _Stylus_ declinatus. _Stigma_ infundibuliforme hians. _Caps._ infera polysperma. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ ARISTEA _cyanea_. _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 67._ IXIA _africana_ floribus capitatis, spathis laceris. _Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 51._ MORÆA _africana_ floribus capitatis spathis laceris. _Murr. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. p. 93._ IXIA foliis ad radicem nervosis gramineis, floribus ac fructu convolutis. _Burm. Afric. 191. t. 70. f. 2._ BERMUDIANA capensis, capitulis lanuginosis. _Pet. sicc. 242._ GRAMEN eriophorum africanum flore lanato. _Pluk. Mant. 98._ It will be seen, on consulting the synonyms, that this native of the Cape, though introduced to the Kew Garden by Mr. Masson in 1774, was long before known to a considerable number of Botanists, and it is curious to see the different opinions which they entertained of it; we abide by that of Mr. Aiton, who has called it _Aristea_, from the bearded appearance, we apprehend, of the Spathæ. It is a small fibrous-rooted plant, rarely exceeding when in bloom the height of six or eight inches, and would be too insignificant for a green-house collection, were not its flowers of a very brilliant blue colour; indeed Miller, who appears evidently to have cultivated it, says, the flowers make little appearance, and so the plant is only kept for the sake of variety. _Dict. 4to. ed. 6. Ixia africana._