4. The seed-bud and obsolete styles. This singular plant appears to us to be a new, but somewhat anomalous species of the Genus Melanthium; which, as it at present stands, unquestionably contains several Genera. It is a native of the Cape, and a Green-house plant; and prior to flowering possesses altogether the appearance of a Massonia, and thrives very well with the treatment of one. Our drawing of it was taken from fine plants in the Hibbertian collection in the month of March. [Illustration] PLATE CCCLXIX. EUCOMIS PURPUREOCAULIS. _Purple-stalked Eucomis._ CLASS VI. ORDER I. _HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Six Chives. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. COROLLA infera, 6-partita, persistens. Filamenta nectario adnata. COROLLA beneath, 6-parted, persistent. Chives conjoined to the base of the corolla, forming a nectary. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. EUCOMIS, scapo clavato, foliis multifariis expansis orbiculato-spatulatis. EUCOMIS, with a clavated scape, leaves pointing many ways expanded orbicular-spatula-shaped. DESCRIPTIO. _Radix_ ut in affinibus. _Folia_ 5-7, multifaria, expansa, demum prostrata, orbiculato-spatulata, vel subinde multo angustiora, viridia, obsolete sulcato-lineata et lucida, marginibus minute cartilagineis, glabriusculis; subtus pallidiora, lucidiora, magisque sulcata. _Scapus_ claviformis, perbrevis, crassus, atro-purpureus; intra flores valde contractus, viridis, purpureoque punctatus. _Flores_ spicati, conferti, sessiles, sæpe adscendentes, unibracteati. _Bracteæ_ imæ obcuneatæ, subrecurvæ, submembranaceæ, et sæpe purpurascentes; sensim minores; summæ longiores, lineari-lanceolatæ, purpureo-marginatæ, steriles; in coronam foliolorum perelegantem supra flores collectæ. _Corolla_ hexapetaloidea, petalis subæqualibus, lineari-oblongis, vix attenuatis, viridibus. _Filamenta_ 6, basi petalorum valde connata, subulata, compressa; superne incurvata. _Antheræ_ flavescentes; post florescentiam fuscæ, pendulæ, ad apices petalorum vix attingentes. _Germen_ sulcato-triangulare. _Stylus_ flexuoso-adscendens, teres, vix subulatus, filamentis multo brevior. _Stigma_ nullum sive inconspicuum. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. One of the lower floral leaves. 2. The corolla cut open. 3. The seed-bud and pointal. We find no account of this fine plant in any publication we have consulted: it is closely allied to Eucomis regia, but differs sufficiently from that species in the shape of its leaves, and the smoothness of their margins. It is a green-house plant, and was lately introduced from the Cape by G. Hibbert, Esq. from a plant in whose collection our drawing was taken in the month of March. [Illustration] PLATE CCCLXX. POLYGALA TERETIFOLIA. _Cylindric-leaved Milkwort._ CLASS XVII. ORDER III. _DIADELPHIA OCTANDRIA._ Two Brotherhoods. Eight Chives. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX 5-phyllus; foliolis duobus alæformibus, coloratis. Legumen obcordatum, biloculare.