The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 07

[217]
Buchnera Viscosa. Clammy Buchnera

Class and Order

Didynamia Angiospermia

Generic Character

Cal. obsolete 5-dentatus. Corollæ limbus 5-fidus, æqualis: lobis cordatis. Caps. 2-locularis.

Specific Character and Synonyms

BUCHNERA viscosa foliis lineari-lanceolatis laxe dentatis subglutinosis, floribus pedunculatis, caule fruticoso. L' Herit. Strip. nov. tom. 2. tab. 34. Ait. Kew. V. 2. p. 357.

N^o217.

Buchnera is a genus of plants established by Linnæus in honour of A. E. Buchner, a German naturalist.

Of this genus, nine species are enumerated in the 14th edition of the Systema Vegetabilium, by Professor Murray.

We learn from Mr. Aiton, that the present species (a native of the Cape) was introduced to the royal garden at Kew in 1774.

It cannot boast much beauty, yet as it occupies but little room, grows readily from cuttings, and flowers during most of the summer: it obtains a place in most greenhouses.

[218]
Disandra Prostrata. Trailing Disandra

Class and Order

Heptandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cal. sub 7-partitus. Cor. rotata, subseptem-partita. Caps. 2-locularis, polysperma.

Specific Character and Synonyms

DISANDRA prostrata. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. Suppl. Pl. p. 32. 214. Ait. Kew, V. 1. p. 493.

SIBTHORPIA peregrina. Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 880.

N^o218.

The foliage of this plant greatly resembles that of Ground Ivy, and its branches trail on the ground somewhat in the same manner, extending to the length of several feet; but it is not on the ground that it is best seen, as its flowers are apt to be hid among the leaves: it appears most advantageously when growing in a pot, placed on a pedestal, or in some elevated situation, where its branches may hang carelessly down: thus treated, when fully blown, it becomes a most pleasing object.

Linnæus, the son, in his Suppl. Plant. observes, that the Disandra varies extremely in the number of its stamina, as it does also in the divisions of its calyx, and corolla; in this respect;, indeed, we do not know its equal: fortunately for those systems of Botany, which are formed from the number of certain parts of the fructification, few such inconstants exist.

Professor Murray observes, that seven is the most prevalent number of its stamina, five the most natural.

Linnæus describes it as a native of the East; Mr. Aiton informs us, that it was introduced here about the year 1771, from Madeira.

It flowers during most of the summer months; in the winter it must be kept in the green-house; in the summer it will bear the open air, grows readily from cuttings, should be planted in rich earth, and plentifully watered in dry weather.

[219]
Michauxia Campanuloides. Rough-Leav'd Michauxia

Class and Order

Octandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cal. 16-partitus. Cor. rotata, 8-partita. Nectarium 8-valve, staminiferum. Caps. 8-locularis, polysperma. L' Heritier Monogr.

Specific Character and Synonyms

MICHAUXIA campanuloides. L' Heritier Monogr.

N^o219.

The celebrated author of the Hortus Kewensis informs us, that the plant here figured is a native of the Levant, and was introduced to this country in the year 1787, by Mons. L'Heritier, who first gave it the name of Michauxia, and wrote a Monographia, or particular treatise on it.

We have before observed, that when a plant has been named in honour of any particular person, that name must be retained in all countries, however uncouth its pronunciation may be, and there are few of our readers but what will think the present name sufficiently so.

Last summer 1792, in the month of July, we had the pleasure to see a fine plant of this sort, fully blown, in the collection of Messrs. Grimwood and Co. Kensington; though in a small pot, it grew nearly to the height of six feet, was branched almost to the bottom, and loaded with a profusion of blossoms, such as are represented on the plate, and which bore some distant resemblance to those of a passion-flower.

It is a biennial green-house plant, and, of course, only to be raised from seeds, which we are sorry to find have not ripened in this country, though they are said to do so in France.

[220]
Erica Cerinthoides. Honeywort-Flower'd Heath

Class and Order

Octandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cal. 4-phyllus. Cor. 4-fida. Filamenta receptaculo inferta. Antheræ bifidæ. Caps. 4-locularis.

Specific Character and Synonyms

ERICA cerinthoides antheris muticis inclusis, corollis clavatis grossis, stigmate incluso cruciato, foliis quaternis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 368. Ait. Kew. V. 2. p. 22.

N^o220.

The Erica cerinthoides is one of the most magnificent and shewy of the genus, grows wild at the Cape, from whence it was introduced to the royal garden at Kew, by Mr. Masson, in 1774; it is the more valuable, as it flowers during most of the year: its blossoms are found to vary from a deep to a very pale red. It is a hardy green-house plant, and usually propagated by cuttings.

To have this beautiful tribe of plants in perfection, they must be kept in pots proportioned to their size, filled with that kind of bog earth in which our British heaths grow spontaneously, finely sifted; to which it may be necessary sometimes to add a third part of the mould of rotten leaves, or choice loam, partaking more of a clayey than a sandy nature: we must be careful not to let them suffer for want of water in dry hot weather, as such an omission, even for one day, may be fatal; and to give them as much air as possible at all times when the weather is mild.

[221]
Ipomœa Coccinea. Scarlet Ipomœa

Class and Order

Pentandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cor. infundibuliformis, Stigma capitato-globosum, Caps. 3-locularis.

Specific Character and Synonyms

IPOMŒA coccinea foliis cordatis acuminatis basi angulatis, pedunculis multifloris. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 204. Ait. Kew. V. 1. p. 215.

CONVOLVULUS coccineus, folio anguloso, Plum. Amer. 89. t. 103.

QUAMOLCIT americana, folio hederæ, flore coccineo. Comm. rar. 21. t. 21.

N^o221.

The Ipomœa is very nearly related to the Convolvulus, one principal difference consists in the different form of its stigma, which is globular, like that of the Primrose; whereas in the Convolvulus it is divided into two substances, as is obviously shewn in the Convolvulus arvensis and sepium, but all the plants of these two genera have not this character marked with equal strength.

The present species is a twining plant, will run up a stick to the height of six, eight, or ten feet, and produce an abundance of flowers, of a rich orange colour tending to scarlet, which renders it one of the most ornamental annuals cultivated in our gardens, into which it is not as yet generally introduced, though cultivated by Mr. Miller, in 1759.

Mr. Miller describes it as a native of Carolina, and the Bahama Islands, Mr. Aiton of the West-Indies; it flowers from June to September.

It is cultivated in the same manner, and with the same ease as other annuals; three seeds may be set in the ground, about four inches asunder, in the form of a triangle; when the seedlings are sufficiently advanced, a tall stick is to be thrust down in the centre betwixt the three plants, for them to twine around: the warmer and more sheltered the situation, and the richer the soil in which they are placed, the taller the plants will grow; by raising them on a hot bed, you may anticipate their natural time of flowering, and be more certain of obtaining good seed.

[222]
Struthiola Erecta. Smooth Struthiola

Class and Order

Tetrandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cor. nulla. Cal. tubulosus, ore glandulis 8. Bacca exsucca, polysperma. Linn. Mant. p. 4. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 165.

 

Specific Character and Synonyms

STRUTHIOLA erecta glabra. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 164. Ait. Kew. V. 1. p. 165.

PASSERINA dodecandra. Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 513. Amæn. Acad. V. 4. p. 271.

PASSERINA filiformis. Mill. Dict. ed. 6. 4to.

PASSERINA. Burm. Afric. t. 47. f. 1.

N^o222.

The plant here represented appears to have been first described and figured by Burman, in his Pl. Afric. under the name of Passerina: Linnæus introduced it in the 3d edition of his Sp. Pl. by the title of Passerina dodecandra; discovering afterwards that it had in reality only four stamina, and that the other eight substances, mistaken for such, were so many glandular nectaria, he made in his Mantiss. Plant. a new genus of it, by the name of Struthiola, and assigned it the trivial name of erecta; in the abbreviated generic description given of it by Prof. Murray, an alteration is made in this generic character, and what before was considered as Corolla, is here regarded as Calyx; no reason is assigned for this alteration, and we are at a loss to account for the propriety of it.

Mr. Miller, who cultivated this plant in 1758, describes it in his dictionary, and observes very justly, that though its branches when young are erect, when loaded with blossoms they incline to a horizontal position; hence the term erecta becomes an improper one, and should be changed for one more expressive.

This species of Struthiola is a very common shrub in our greenhouses, will grow to the height of five or six feet, and, though not so ornamental as some other plants, has the merit of flowering during most of the year, and often in the depth of winter.

Is readily increased by cuttings.