This fine variety of the Prickly-stalked Geranium, was introduced, at the same time with the white variety, by Mr. Francis Masson, to the Royal Gardens, Kew, in the year 1795. It is a tender plant, and requires the heat of the hot-house, through the winter months to preserve it, being a native of that part of Africa near the Namaqua land, which is in most parts a barren, arid sand, extremely hot and parched, experiencing little change through the whole year. The propagation is either produced by cuttings, or from the roots, which are tuberous, in most instances, if the plant is kept in light sandy peat earth. The drawing was made, in March this year, at the Nursery of Mr. J. Colville, King’s Road, Chelsea. [Illustration] PLATE CLIX. IXIA CAPITATA. _Var. flore albo, fundo nigro._ _Bunch flowering Ixia._ _Var. white flowered, black bottom._ CLASS III. ORDER I. _TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Three Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA 6-petala, patens, æqualis. Stigmata tria, erectiusculo-patula. BLOSSOM six petals, spreading, equal. Summits three, nearly upright, spreading. See IXIA REFLEXA, Vol. I. Plate XIV. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Ixia, foliis ensiformibus; floribus capitatis, consertis, albidis, petalis basi nigrissime notatis. Ixia, with sword-shaped leaves; flowers grow in close bunches, whitish, the petals very dark, marked at the base. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The two sheaths of the Empalement. 2. A Blossom spread open, with the Chives remaining. 3. The Seed-bud and Pointal, one Summit detached, magnified. As no difference, either in culture or increase, is necessary for this plant, more than is required for the other varieties of this species of Ixia; we shall refer our readers to the directions for the treatment of them, for the management of this. Our figure is from a drawing taken at the Hammersmith nursery in the year 1799, about the month of May. It is one of those introduced to the Royal Gardens at Kew by Mr. F. Masson about the year 1774, although lost to us for some years, but since received from the collections in Holland. [Illustration] PLATE CLX. ARISTEA MAJOR. _Spike-flowered Aristea._ CLASS III. ORDER I. _TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Three Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. PETALA 6. Stigma concavum. Capsula triloba, trilocularis, loculis compressis. Semina in singulo loculo bina, compressa truncata. PETALS 6. Summit concave. Capsule three-lobed, three-celled; cells flattened. Seeds two in each cell, flattened and appearing cut off at the end. See ARISTEA CYANEA, Pl. X. Vol. I. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Aristea foliis ensiformibus longissimis; floribus spicatis, cæruleis. Aristea with very long leaves; flowers grow in spikes, and blue. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The two sheaths of the Empalement. 2. A Blossom with the Seed-bud, both cut open and remaining attached, the Shaft removed. 3. The Pointal natural size, with the summit detached magnified.