William Jackson Hooker

“ I had scarcely time to make myself
acquainted with this fine Banksia, when I found another ex-
ceedingly interesting and beautiful plant, a species of Genithyllis,
growing to the size of, and having a considerable resemblance in
habit and foliage to Beaufortia decussata,but with the inflorescence
inclosed by beautiful bracts, white, and variegated with crimson
veins; these bracts are as elegantly formed as the petals of the
finest tulip, and are almost as large, hanging in a bell-shaped
form from the ends of the slender branches. ”

“ Here I
differ from Gaertner, who regards what I have described as the
rudiments of the flower and flower-stalk, as belonging to a second
undeveloped leaf. To this I object, that it would be a very
unusual circumstance, where there are the rudiments of two cor-
responding organs, that there should be so much dissimilarity
and disproportion between them. On the contrary, as a leaf
and a flower invariably arise from each joint of the stem, it is
most probable that I am correct in the description I have given.
This interesting plant was first made known to botanists by
Dr. ”

“ The
first year they are yellowish-white in all the centre of the bracts,
and the same colour appears in the veins and in the teeth, which
grow on the margin; the second year, what was white the
first year has changed to a rich golden-yellow; the third year,
what was yellow becomes a rich orange; and the fourth year,
the colour of the centre of the same bracts, their veins and
marginal teeth, are turned to a blood-red. The green, which has
a remarkably light and luminous appearance the first year, varies
annually to deeper and darker shades ”