The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 07

[248]
Vinca Rosea. Madagascar Periwinkle

Class and Order

Pentandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Contorta. Folliculi 2 erecti. Semina nuda.

Specific Character and Synonyms

VINCA rosea caule fructescente erecto, foliis ovato oblongis, petiolis basi bidentatis, floribus geminis sessilibus. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 252. Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 296.

VINCA foliis oblongo-ovatis integerrimis, tubo floris longissimo, caule ramoso fruticoso. Mill. Icon. 86.

N^o248.

The Vinca rosea was first Cultivated in this country by Mr. Philip Miller in 1757, he observes that it deserves a place in the stove as much as any of the exotic plants we have in England, because the flowers are very beautiful, and there is a constant succession of them all the summer.

The following account is extracted from his Dictionary.

"This plant grows naturally in the Island of Madagascar, from whence the seeds were brought to the Royal Garden at Paris, where the plants were first raised, and produced their flowers the following summer; from these plants good seeds were obtained, which were sent me by Mr. Richard, gardener to the King at Versailles and Trianon. It rises to the height of three or four feet; the branches which when young are succulent become ligneous by age: these flowers which appear early in the summer produce ripe seeds in the autumn.

"This sort is propagated by seeds or cuttings in the usual way; unless the summer proves warm these plants should not be placed abroad, for they will not thrive if they are exposed to cold or wet, therefore during the summer they should be placed in an airy glass-case, and in winter they must be removed into the stove, where the air is kept to a temperate heat, without which they will not live through the winter in England. Mill. Dict.

There is a variety of this plant having white blossoms with a purple eye.

The flowers do not always grow in pairs.

[249]
Cineraria Amelloides. Blue-Flowered Cineraria or Cape Aster

Class and Order

Syngenesia Polygamia Superfloa

Generic Character

Recept. nullum. Pappus simplex. Cal. simplex polyphyllus æqualis.

Specific Character and Synonyms

CINERARIA Amelloides pedunculis unifloris, foliis oppositis ovatis nudis, caule suffruticoso. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 765. Ait Kew. v. 3. p. 219.

ASTER africanus frutescens ramosus, floribus cæruleis, foliis oppositis minimis, caulibus et ramulis in pedunculos nudos exeuntibus. Raii Suppl. 158.

ASTER caule ramoso scabro perenni, foliis ovatis sessilibus, pedunculis nudis unifloris. Mill. Icon. 76. f. 2.

N^o249.

The Cineraria Amelloides a plant common in every green-house, was introduced by Mr. Philip Miller as long since as the year 1753, being raised by him from Cape seeds; it forms a bushy shrub, of the height of two, or three feet, produces numerous blossoms, which stand singly on long footstalks, are of a pale blue colour; they make some amends for their want of brilliancy by flowering during most of the year.

The plant is easily propagated either by seeds or cuttings.

[250]
Myrtus Tomentosa. Woolly-leaved Myrtle

Class and Order

Icosandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cal. 5-fidus, superus. Petala 5. Bacca 2. s. 3 sperma.

Specific Character and Synonyms

MYRTUS tomentosa pedunculis unifloris, foliis triplinervii, subtus tomentosis. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 159.

ARBOR sinensis canellæ folio minore, trinervi, prona parte villoso, fructu caryophylli aromatici majoris villis similiter obducto. Pluk. Amalth. 21. t. 372. f. 1.

N^o249.

In the third edition of the Species Plant. of Linnæus, published in 1764, thirteen Myrtles are described; in the 13th edition of the Syst. Natur. published by Gmelin in 91, forty-one are enumerated; thus in twenty-seven years this genus has gained an accession of twenty-eight species: most of these are natives of warm climates, and few comparatively have been introduced to this country, six species only being mentioned in the Hort. Kew. of Mr. Aiton, in that work the tomentosa here figured, not known to Linnæus or Miller is specifically described, and there Mr. Aiton informs us that it is a native of China, and was introduced by Mrs. Norman about the year 1766.

Since that period it has fallen into the hands of various cultivators, and flowered perhaps in greater perfection than it did originally at Kew; the peduncles, in the various specimens we have seen usually supporting more than one flower.

It is a shrub of great beauty, both in respect to its foliage and flowers, bearing but little similitude to the common Myrtle, if suffered to grow, acquiring the height of many feet.

Its blossoms are produced in June and July, the buds are covered with a white down, as is also the underside of the leaves, whence its name of tomentosa.

It has been customary to treat it as a stove plant, such it is considered in the Hort. Kew. there is great reason however to believe, that it is by no means tender, and that it may succeed as most of the Chinese plants do in a good greenhouse.

It is usually increased by cuttings which are struck difficulty.

[251]
Allium Descendens. Purple-Headed Garlick

Class and Order

Hexandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cor. 6-partita, patens. Spatha multiflora. Umbella congesta. Caps. supera.

Specific Character and Synonyms

ALLIUM descendens caule subteretifolio umbellifero, pedunculis exterioribus brevioribus, staminibus tricuspidatis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 322. Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 425.

ALLIUM staminibus alterne trifidis, foliis fistulosis, capite sphærico non bulbifero atropurpureo. Hall. All. Tab. 2. f. p. 355. xx. ii.

N^o249.

Baron Haller in his most admirable Monographia on the plants of this genus, published in his Opuscula Botanica, describes and figures this species, a hardy perennial, being a native of Switzerland, and cultivated according to Mr. Aiton, in the garden at Oxford in 1766.

It usually grows to the height of three feet, thriving in almost any soil or situation, its flowers as in many other species grow in a capitulum or little head, not an umbel, strictly speaking, as Linnæus describes it; this head is at first covered with a whitish membrane, wearing some resemblance to a night-cap, on the falling off of which the whole of the capitulum is perceived to be of a green colour, shortly the crown of it becomes of a fine reddish purple, this colour extends itself gradually downwards, presently we see the upper half of the head purple, the lower half green, in this state it has a most pleasing appearance; the purple still extending downwards, the whole head finally becomes uniformly so, and then its flowers begin to open, and emit an odour rather agreeable than otherwise; on dissecting a flower we find three of the stamina in each longer than the others, and bearing two little points, which proceed not from the antheræ, but from the top of the filaments, it is therefore one of those Alliums which Linnæus describes, as having Antheræ bicornes.

This species increases readily by offsets, which should be separated and planted in Autumn.

We know not why Linnæus should give it the name of descendens, unless from its being one of those plants whose roots in process of time descend deeply into the earth.

[252]
Campanula Grandiflora. Great-Flowered Bell-Flower

Class and Order

Pentandria Monogynia

Generic Character

Cor. campanulata fundo clauso valvis staminiferis. Stigma trifidium. Caps. insera poris lateralibus dehiscens.

Specific Character and Synonyms

CAMPANULA grandiflora caule subunifloro, foliis sublanceolatis serratis, corolla patente. Jacq. in Litt. Hort. v. 3. t. 2.

CAMPANULA grandiflora foliis ternis oblongis serratis, caule unifloro, flore patulo. Linn. Suppl. p. 140. Syst. Veget. ed. 14. Murr. p. 207. Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 218.

N^o249.

 

Professor Jacquin is, we believe, the first author who has figured this species of Campanula, which he has done in his Hortus Vindebonensis; Linnæus the Son afterwards inserted it in his Suppl. Pl. assigning it the characters specified above in the synonyms, and expressing his doubts whether it was not a variety of the Campanula carpatica, already figured in this work, Pl. 117. Prof. Jacquin clearly demonstrates that it cannot be so, as it differs most essentially from that plant in a variety of particulars, vid. Linn. Syst. Veget. ed. 14. Murr. his specific description there given, agrees much better with the plants we have seen flower here, than that of Linnæus does, there being generally more than one flower on a stalk, and the leaves rarely growing three together.

The blossoms of this plant when it grows in perfection, are very large, nearly twice the size of those of the Campanula carpatica, whence its name of grandiflora; previous to their opening fully, they somewhat resemble an air balloon, from which circumstance it has been called by some the Balloon plant.

It is a hardy perennial, a native of Siberia and Tartary, and was introduced to this country by Mr. John Bell in the year 1782.

It flowers in July, is as yet a rare plant in this country, and likely to continue so, as it is not easily increased, multiplying but little by its roots, scarcely to be struck from cuttings, and rarely producing perfect seeds.