This truly specious Ixia, has at different periods long since, been seen in our exotic collections; but the delicacy of its root, and of consequence, the difficulty of preserving it, when out of flower, was, no doubt, the occasion of its having been as often lost to us for a time. To the Dutch we are indebted for the last introduction of it to this country, about four years since, amongst many others; from their immense collections of Cape bulbs at Haarlem. Although the root is particularly susceptible of wet, yet, by timely taking up the bulb, even before the upper part of the plant is decayed; and keeping it entirely free from moisture, till it is again planted in October, there will be little danger of its perishing. Our figure was taken in the month of June 1799, at Clapham, from a plant in the Collection of G. Hibbert, Esq. Light sandy peat, with a small portion of rotten old cow-dung, will give it the most vigorous growth. [Illustration] PLATE LXXXVIII. ERANTHEMUM PULCHELLUM. _Blue-flowered Eranthemum._ CLASS II. ORDER I. _DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Two Chives. One Pointal. GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX. Perianthium quinquefidum, tubulosum, erectum, membranaceum, persistens. COROLLA monopetala, infundibuliformis; tubus filiformis, longissimus. Limbus quinquepartitus, planus; laciniis obovatis, æqualibus. STAMINA. Filamenta duo, ad basin spiralia, in fauce corollæ. Antheræ subovatæ, compressæ, extra tubum. PISTILLUM. Germen ovatum, compressum. Stylus filiformis, longitudine staminum. Stigmata duo, inæqualia, erecta. PERICARPIUM. Capsula spathulata, compressa, bivalvis, bilocularis, dissipimento valvulis contrario. SEMINA solitaria, lentiformia. EMPALEMENT. Cup five cleft, tubular, upright, skinny, and remaining. BLOSSOM one petal, funnel-shaped; tube thread-shaped, and very long. Border divided into five, and flat; the segments are inversely egg-shaped, and equal. CHIVES. Two threads, spiral at the base, at the mouth of the blossom. Tips nearly egg-shaped, flattened, and without the tube. POINTAL. Seed-bud egg-shaped and flattened. Shaft thread-shaped, the length of the chives. Summits two unequal, and upright. SEED-VESSEL. Capsule spatula shape, flattened, two valves, two cells, the partition contrary to the valves. SEEDS solitary, lentil shape. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Eranthemum foliis lanceolato-ovatis, nervosis; floribus spicatis; bracteis lanceolatis, imbricatis. Eranthemum with lance-shaped, oval, and strongly nerved leaves; the flowers grow in spikes; the floral leaves are lance-shaped, and tiled. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The Empalement, with its four small leaflets. 2. The Blossom cut open, to shew the part of insertion of the Chives. 3. One of the Chives, (magnified.) 4. The Pointal, (natural size.) 5. The same, (magnified.) 6. The Seed-bud. 7. A Seed.