4. A ripe seed-vessel, natural size. 5. The same with the cells laid open to shew the situation of the seeds. The Genus Aristea, having certainly been formed from a dried specimen of the plant, the alterations we have made in our Generic and Essential characters, will, upon inspecting the dissections, appear absolutely necessary; as the shaft is not bent, in either species we have examined, whilst the flower is perfect; but assumes that appearance on its decay, as it becomes involved with the petals, which twist up in the manner of Morœa, Iris, &c. The Summit likewise, is not funnel-shaped, but merely a little concave, with a border; other small variations have been made, in the character of the seed-vessel and seed. In the year 1794, this fine plant was raised by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, from seeds received by them from the Cape of Good Hope, where it is native. It is one of the very hardiest inhabitants of the greenhouse, and is propagated, either from the seed, which ripens with us; or by the offsets made from the root. The plant is persistent, but does not acquire a stem; the leaves growing to the length of from two, to three feet, the flower-stem sometimes to the height of four feet; which was nearly that of the plant in the Collection of G. Hibbert, Esq. Clapham, from which our drawing was taken in the month of July 1800. It should be planted in sandy peat. [Illustration] PLATE CLXI. HERMANNIA PULVERATA. _Powdered Hermannia._ CLASS XVI. ORDER II. _MONADELPHIA PENTANDRIA._ Threads united. Five Pointals. GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX. Perianthium monophyllum, quinquefidum, subrotundum, inflatum; lacinulis inflexis; persistens. COROLLA pentapetala, spiralis; ungues longitudine calycis, utrinque aucti membranula connivente in tubum cucullatum nectariferum; limbus patens, latiusculus, obtusus. STAMINA. Filamenta quinque, latiuscula, inferne levissime in unum corpus coalita. Antheræ erectæ, acuminatæ, conniventes. PISTILLUM. Germen subrotundum, pentagonum, quinquangulare. Styli quinque, filiformes, approximati, subulati, staminibus longiores. Stigmata simplicia. PERICARPIUM. Capsula subrotunda, pentagona, quinque-locularis, apice dehiscens. SEMINA plurima, parva. EMPALEMENT. Cup one leaf, five-cleft, roundish and swelled out; segments turned inwards; remaining. BLOSSOM, five petals, spiral; claws the length of the cup, widened on both sides by a small skinny substance forming a honey-bearing, cowl-shaped tube; border spreading, broadish, blunt. CHIVES. Five threads, broadish, slightly joined at the base into one body. Tips upright, tapered, and approaching each other. POINTAL. Seed-bud roundish, five-sided, five-angled. Shafts five, thread-shaped, close together, awl shaped, longer than the Chives. Summits simple. SEED VESSEL. Capsula roundish, five-sided, five-celled, splitting at top. SEEDS, many, small. SPECIFIC CHARACTER.