2. A flower complete, natural size. 3. The blossom cut open, with the Chives in their place. 4. The Seed-bud, Shaft and Pointal; the summit detached, magnified. The Sweet-scented Aletris, from the great height it attains before it flowers, which is, from 9 to 12 feet, and nearly two-thirds of the length of the stem, without leaves; takes off much from the merit of this grand plant as cultivated in our colder regions. It is a native of Africa, and must be kept in the hot-house, in the bark-bed, to have it blossom. The flowers are extremely fragrant, open in the evening and close again with the first rays of the morning sun. It is propagated either by suckers, which it sometimes produces, or by cutting off small portions from the roots; which will become plants in about three months, if placed in the heat of a strong hot-bed; these are likewise very sweet-scented, having the flavour of orris-root, or violets. Our figure was taken from a plant in the collection of J. Vere, Esq. Kensington Gore, this present month of May, 1803. A schism has arisen on the subject of this genus among modern botanists; from whom we must, however, exclude the celebrated author of Miller’s New Gardeners’ Dictionary; who, in this instance, has preserved the genus entire. Three genera have, as usual, been made out of one; the Cape species are denominated Veltheimias; those known under the names of A. zeylanica and A. guineensis, are termed Sansevieras; A. farinosa and A. fragrans being the only remnants of the original genus. Such are the happy effects, of modern scrutiny, upon the works of the antiquated Linnæus! and such might be the answer of these illuminati, which poor Gradus, in the farce of _Who’s the Dupe_, gives to his mistress, when questioned upon the utility of his labours; alas, how else should _our_ merit be discovered, but by elancing from the old track of plain sense and nature. [Illustration] PLATE CCCVII. PROTEA GLOBOSA. _Globe-flowered Protea._ CLASS IV. ORDER I. _TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Four Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA 4-fida, seu 4-petala. Antheræ lineares, insertæ petalis infra apicem. Calyx proprius nullus. Semina solitaria. BLOSSOM 4-cleft, or 4 petals. Tips linear, inserted into the petals below the end. Cup proper, none. Seeds solitary. See PROTEA FORMOSA, Pl. XVII. Vol. I. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Protea foliis eliptico-lanceolatis, apicibus callosis; capitulo globoso, terminali; foliolis calycinis ovatis, reflexis; floribus luteis. Protea with eliptically-lance-shaped leaves, callous at the ends; head of flowers globular and terminal; leaflets of the cup egg-shaped, turned back; flowers yellow. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. A Flower complete, natural size. 2. One of the Petals of a blossom, with its chive, magnified. 3. The Pointal, and Seed-bud, natural size. 4. The same, magnified. 5. The common Empalement.