This most desirable Gladiolus, is not a perfect novelty in the greenhouse; although extremely scarce, it has been introduced to us constantly from the Cape of Good Hope, but from its great delicacy has been repeatedly lost. The plants now in England, have been imported from Holland, from the collection of Messrs. Voorhelm and Co. who about the year 1793, purchased the largest collection ever formed at the Cape, from a Frenchman who had been many years resident there. The Gladiolus ringens about mid-day has the flavour of violets so powerfully, that a single plant is sufficient to scent a whole greenhouse. It is with difficulty preserved from rotting at the root; therefore should be grown in very sandy peat, and should be exposed to dry as soon as the flower is gone. Is propagated by the root, or by seed, which may be procured by great care not to over-water the bulb after flowering; but herein there is great danger. [Illustration] PLATE XXVIII. GERANIUM ELEGANS. _Round-leaved Geranium._ CLASS XVI. ORDER II. _MONODELPHIA DECANDRIA._ Threads united. Ten Chives. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. MONOGYNA. Stigmata 5. Fructus rostratus, 5-coccus. One POINTAL. Five Summits. Fruit furnished with long awns, 5 dry berries. See GERANIUM GRANDIFLORUM, Plate XII. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Geranium pedunculis multifloris; calycibus monophyllis, foliis orbiculatis, ferratis rigidis, petiolis longissimis; caule herbaceo. Geranium, the fruit-stalks supporting many flowers; cups of one leaf; the leaves round, sawed, and harsh, with very long foot-stalks; stem herbaceous. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The Empalement cut open, to shew its tubular shape to its base. 2. The Chives, and Pointal, natural size. 3. The Pointal, magnified. This truly elegant species of Geranium was introduced to us from the Cape of Good Hope, in the year 1795; being raised from seeds, received from thence, by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, in whose collection it flowered for the first time this year, about the latter end of May, and from which specimen this figure was taken. It is one of those that have in general seven fertile tips, and, therefore, must be placed under Mr. L’Heritier’s genus Pelargonium, by those who follow his new arrangement. It is a hardy plant, and requires only a common greenhouse for its protection, where it will seed; which seems to be the readiest mode of propagating it, as it produces but very few branches; thriving best in rich earth. [Illustration] PLATE XXIX. IXIA SPICATA. _Var. viridi nigra._ _Sea-green spiked Ixia._ CLASS III. ORDER I. _TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Three Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA 6 petala, patens, æqualis. STIGMATA 3, erectiusculo-patula. BLOSSOM six petals, spreading, equal. SUMMITS three, nearly upright, spreading. See IXIA REFLEXA, Plate XIV. SPECIFIC CHARACTER.