Nemesia pageae L.Bolus

An erect slender annual, ranging up to 1 ft. in height, unbranched or branched from the base and forming a rather compact plant, the lower branches developing later. Stem glabrous below, sparingly hairy and sticky near the flowering portion. Leaves opposite, the lowest petiolate, ovate-oblong, rather obtuse, with the margins almost entire, 3/4-1 in. long, the upper narrower, acute, serrate, passing off gradually into the very narrow bracts. Flowers 11-20 in a raceme, with 3-4 fls. in each raceme open at once; pedicels spreading or ascending, glandular-pubescent, 1/2-1 inch (in fruit) long. Calyx divided into 5 nearly equal segments, about 1/8 in. long. Corolla gaping or ringent, not closed or personate as is usual in Nemesia; rich terra-cotta red changing to a dull grey purple, giving a lovely range of shades in a plant as the flowers develop and fade, the under-surface veined with a deeper colour; on the palate a conspicuous boss densely covered with yellow hairs adds much to the attractiveness of the flower. Capsule oblong, slightly notched at the apex, up 1/3 in. long; seeds flat, with a white frilled surrounding wing 1/8 in. in diameter.