This Gnidia is from the Cape of Good Hope, from whence it was first sent to England about the year 1783, by Mr. F. Masson to the Royal gardens Kew. It is a tender, and delicate greenhouse plant, very subject to be destroyed by the autumnal rains, or over watering during the winter. It is with great difficulty raised from cuttings, and its seeds seldom or ever, we believe, are perfected with us; from which circumstance, it is to be found in very few collections. Our drawing was made from a plant, in the possession of G. Hibbert, Esq. Clapham, about the middle of July 1799. [Illustration] PLATE XC. SEPTAS CAPENSIS. _Cape Septas._ CLASS VII. ORDER IV. _HEPTANDRIA HEPTAGYNIA._ Seven Chives. Seven Pointals. GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX. Perianthium septempartitum, patens, acutum, persistens. COROLLA. Petala septem, oblonga, æqualia, calyce duplo longiora. STAMINA. Filamenta septem, subulata, longitudine calycis. Antheræ subovatæ, erectæ. PISTILLUM. Germina septem, oblonga, desinentia in stylos subulatos, longitudine staminum. Stigmata obtusiuscula. PERICARPIUM. Capsula septem, oblongæ, acutæ, parallelæ, univalves. SEMINA plurima. EMPALEMENT, Cup of seven divisions, spreading, sharp-pointed, and remaining. BLOSSOM. Seven petals, oblong, equal, twice the length of the cup. CHIVES. Seven threads, awl-shaped, the length of the cup. Tips nearly egg-shaped, and upright. POINTAL. Seven seed-buds, oblong, and ending in awl-shaped shafts, the length of the Chives. Summits bluntish. SEED-VESSEL. Seven capsules, oblong, sharp-pointed, parallel, and of one valve. SEEDS many. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Septas, foliis subrotundis, crenulatis, oppositis; glabris; radice tuberosa. Septas with roundish leaves, slightly scolloped, opposite and smooth; root tuberous. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The Empalement. 2. The Chives, and Pointals, (magnified). 3. One of the Pointals detached, (natural size).