Nivenia
(named in honour of James Niven, a botanical collector, especially of African plants). SYN. Paranomus. ORD. Proteaceae. A genus comprising a dozen species of large greenhouse, evergreen, erect, leafy shrubs, natives of South Africa. Flowers in terminal or axillary spikes; florets in fours, within a persistent, hairy involucre of four leaves. Leaves simple or much divided, with filiform, sharp-pointed segments. The species require treatment similar to Protea (which see). The two species here described are probably the only ones yet introduced.
N. crithmifolia (Crithmum-leaved). fl. purple; spikes subsessile, cylindrical, dense. July. l. bi-or tri-ternate, slender, almost filiform, 1in. to 1 1/2in. long. h. 4ft. 1810. (A. B. R. 243, under name of Protea Lagopus.) N. media (middle). fl. purple; spikes ovate-oblong, terminal, solitary or sub-umbellate. July. l. sub-triternate, glabrous, 2in. long. h. 2 1/2ft. 1786. (A. B. R. 234, under name of Protea spicata.)