of _Heliconia_, and named it
_Strelitzia_ in honour of our most gracious Queen CHARLOTTE; coloured
engravings of which, executed under his direction, he presented to his
particular friends; impressions of the same plate have been given in the
aforesaid work, in which we are informed that this plant was introduced
to the royal garden at Kew, by Sir JOSEPH BANKS, Bart. in the year 1773,
where it lately flowered--of some other plants introduced after that
period from the Cape, of which it is a native, one flowered in the Pine
stove of BAMBER GASCOYNE, Esq. several years ago, from whence Mr. MILLAR
drew his figure, and the plant from which our drawing was made flowered
this spring, in the bark stove of the garden belonging to the
Apothecaries Company, at Chelsea, where it will also soon flower again.

This plant has usually been confined to the stove, where it has been
placed in a pot, and plunged into the tan, as the plants in such
situations usually are; it has been found that when the roots have been
confined to the narrow limits of a pot, the plant has rarely or never
flowered, but that when the roots have by accident extended into the
rotten tan, it has readily thrown up flowering stems, the best practice
therefore, not only with this, but many other plants, is to let the
roots have plenty of earth to strike into. As it is a Cape plant it may
perhaps be found to succeed best in the conservatory.

It has not, that we know of, as yet ripened its seeds in this country;
till it does, or good seeds of it shall be imported, it must remain a
very scarce and dear plant, as it is found to increase very slowly by
its roots: plants are said to be sold at the Cape for Three Guineas
each.

_General Description of the STRELITZIA REGINAE._

[Illustration: No 120]

From a perennial stringy root shoot forth a considerable number of
leaves, standing upright on long footstalks, front a sheath of some one
of which, near its base, springs the flowering stem, arising somewhat
higher than the leaves, and terminating in an almost horizontal
long-pointed spatha, containing about six or eight flowers, which
becoming vertical as they spring forth, form a kind of crest, which the
glowing orange of the Corolla, and fine azure of the Nectary, renders
truly superb. The outline in the third plate of this number, is intended
to give our readers an idea of its general habit and mode of growth.

_Particular Description of the same._

ROOT perenn