Amongst the smaller species of this extensive genus the Protea mucronifolia may be placed, but by no means ranked among the least in beauty. It has been figured in the Paradisus Londinensis, and also in the Botanical Magazine, and therefore in the botanical world may be no longer considered as new or rare: but having already figured so many of the most beautiful, we cannot think of excluding any attractive or distinct species of this fine tribe of plants. Our figure was taken from a plant in the garden of G. Hibbert, esq. [Illustration] PLATE DI. HELLENIA ALLUGHAS. _Ceylon Hellenia._ CLASS I. ORDER I. _MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ One Chive. One Pointal. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX tubulosus, bifidus. Corolla tripartita, laciniarum apicibus cucullatis. Nectarium quadrifidum. Capsula globosa, et trivalvis, septo duplici inclusa, polysperma. Semina arillata. EMPALEMENT tubular, two-cleft. Blossom three-divided; the points of the segments are hooded. Nectarium four-cleft. Seed-vessel round, and three-valved, enclosed in a double loculament, many-seeded. Seeds arillated. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. HELLENIA foliis lanceolatis, vaginantibus: floribus in racemis terminalibus odoratissimis. Habitat in paludibus Zeylanicis. HELLENIA with lance-shaped sheathing leaves, with terminal racemes of flowers, which are very sweet-scented. Native of the marshes about Columbo. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. The spathe. 2. The sheath which crowns the seed-bud, cut open. 3. A flower divested of the chives and nectary. 4. The honey-cup. 5. Seed-bud, chives, and pointal. 6. The seed-bud and pointal, summit magnified. 7. The capsule. 8. The same divested of its outer coat. 9. A central branched cord that connects the lobes. 10. One of the lobes of the seed-vessel. 11. The same shown inside, with the seeds exposed and one lifted from its cell. 12. A seed without its arillus, or skinny coat. This fine Monandrous plant was named Hellenia by Willdenow, after his friend Professor Hellenius: the title of Allughas was given it by the Cingalese, from the fruit when young appearing as if sprinkled with ashes. Burmann in his Thesaurus Zeylanicus, p. 54, informs us that the Allughas grows abundantly in the marshes about Columbo; that the flowers are very odoriferous, and are made into conserves and used as cordials to strengthen the head and stomach; from the fruit and seed an oil is extracted that is much used in medicine. Mr. Roscoe, in the 8th vol. of the Linnæan Transactions, has ranked it under the genus Alpinia; but the filamentary system of that gentleman we think infinitely too slender to support the great difference existing between the fruit of our plant and that of Alpinia. Our figure was made from a fine living specimen, and the only one that has ever flowered in this country, raised from seed by A. B. Lambert, esq.