Chapter II: Part 2

Is propagated by seeds, but more frequently by cuttings, which MILLER recommends to be put by for two months or ten weeks, previous to their being committed to the earth.

[280]

APOCYNUM ANDROSÆMIFOLIUM. TUTSAN-LEAV'D, or FLY-CATCHING DOGSBANE.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cor._ campanulata. _Glandulæ_ 5 cum staminibus alternæ.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

APOCYNUM _androsæmifolium_ caule rectiuseulo herbaceo, foliis
ovatis utrinque glabris, cymis terminalibus. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab.
ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 258._ _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 303._

APOCYNUM canadense; foliis androsæmi majoris. _Bocc. sicc. 35. t.
16. f. 3._ _Moris. Hist. 3. p. 609. s. 15. t. 3. f. 16._

In addition to the powerful recommendations of beauty and fragrance, the Tutsan-leav'd Dogsbane interests us on account of the curious structure of its flowers, and their singular property of catching flies.

This species is a native of different parts of North-America; Mr. W. HALE, of Alton, Hants, who resided at Halifax in Nova-Scotia several years, brought me some seeds of it gathered in that neighbourhood, which vegetated, and produced flowering plants: it is not new to this country, being known to MORISON who figures it, and to MILLER, who cultivated it in 1731.

It is a hardy perennial plant, growing to about the height of a foot and a half, or two feet, and flowering from the beginning of July, to September; it has a creeping root, thereby it increases greatly in light dry soils, and warm situations, so as even to be troublesome; it will not thrive in a wet soil; with us it produces seed-vessels but rarely; is propagated by parting its roots in Autumn or Spring; MILLER recommends March as the most proper season, or it may be raised from seeds, which in certain situations and seasons ripen here.

The flowers of this Apocynum have a sweet honey-like fragrance, which perfumes the air to a considerable distance, and no doubt operates powerfully in attracting insects; when a plant of this sort is fully blown, one may always find flies caught in its blossoms, usually by the trunk, very rarely by the leg; sometimes four, or even five, which is the greatest possible number, are found in one flower, some dead, others endeavouring to disentangle themselves, in which they are now and then so fortunate as to succeed; these flies are of different species, the _musca pipiens_, a slender variegated fly with thick thighs, is a very common victim, the _musca domestica_, or house fly, we have never observed among the captives.

Previous to our explaining the manner in which it appears to us that these insects are caught, it will be necessary that we should describe, in as plain a manner as possible, those parts of the flower which more particularly constitute this fatal fly trap.

On looking into the flower we perceive five Stamina, the Antheræ of which are large, of a yellow colour, and converge into a kind of cone; each of these Antheræ is arrow-shaped, towards the top of the cone their sides touch but do not adhere, below they separate a little, so as to leave a very narrow opening or slit between each, they are placed on very short filaments, which stand so far apart that a considerable opening is left between them, which openings, however, are closed up by processes of the corolla, nicely adapted to, and projecting into them; at the bottom of, and in the very centre of the flower, we perceive two germina, or seed-buds, the rudiments of future seed-vessels, surrounded by glandular substances, secreting a sweet liquid; on the summit of these germina, and betwixt the two, stands the stigma, in the form of a little urn, the middle of which is encircled by a glandular ring, which secretes a viscid honey-like substance, to this part of the stigma the Antheræ interiorly adhere most tenaciously, so as to prevent their separation unless considerable force be applied; it is, as we apprehend, the sweet viscid substance thus secreted by the stigma, within the Antheræ, which the fly endeavours to obtain, and to this end insinuates its trunk first into the lowermost and widest part of the slit, betwixt each of the Antheræ above described, pushing it of necessity upwards: when gratified, not having the sense to place itself in the same position as that in which it stood when it inserted its trunk, and to draw it out in the same direction downwards, unfortunately for it, it varies its position, and pulling its trunk upwards, draws it into the narrow part of the slit, where it becomes closely wedged in, and the more it pulls the more securely it is caught, and thus this heedless insect, as THOMSON calls it, terminates its existence in captivity most miserable.

In the incomparable poem of Dr. DARWIN, entitled the _Botanic Garden_, there is a figure given of this plant; and in the Supplement we have the following account written by Mr. DARWIN, of Elston.

"In the Apocynum Androsæmifolium the Anthers converge over the nectaries, which consist of five glandular oval corpuscles, surrounding the germ, and at the same time admit air to the nectaries at the interstice between each anther; but when a fly inserts its proboscis between these anthers to plunder the honey, they converge closer, and with such violence as to detain the fly, which thus generally perishes."

This explanation of a phænomenon entitled to much attention, is widely different from ours; which of the two is most consonant to truth and nature, we shall leave to the determination of future observers.

In explaining the preceding appearances, to prevent confusion we called those parts which form the cone in the middle of the flower Antheræ, but strictly speaking they are not such, the true Antheræ being situated on the inside of their summits, where they will be found to be ten in number, making in fact the Apocynum a decandrous plant.

[281]

TURNERA ANGUSTIFOLIA. NARROW-LEAV'D TURNERA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA TRIGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cal._ 5-fidus, infundibuliformis, exterior 2-phyllus. _Petala_ 5
calyci inserta. _Stigmata_ multifida. _Caps._ 1-locularis,
3-valvis.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

TURNERA _angustifolia_ floribus sessilibus petiolaribus, foliis
lanceolatis rugosis acuminatis. _Mill. Dict. ed. 6. 4to._

TURNERA frutescens folio longiore et mucronato. _Mart. Cent. 49. t.
49._

This plant here represented is generally known to the Nurserymen about London as the _Turnera ulmifolia_, or _Elm-leav'd Turnera_, its foliage however does not answer to the name, nor to the figures of the plant as given by MARTYN in his _Cent. Pl._ and LINNÆUS in his _Hortus Cliffortianus_, which figures indeed are so similar that they look like copies of each other, these represent the true elm leaf; on the same plate of _Martyn's Cent._ there is given a very excellent figure of what he considers as another species of Turnera, vide Synon. and which MILLER, who cultivated it about the year 1773, also describes as a distinct species, under the name of _angustifolia_, asserting, from the experience of thirty years, that plants raised from its seeds have constantly differed from those of the _ulmifolia_; this is our plant, which on his authority we have given as a species, though LINNÆUS regards it as a variety.

PLUMIER gave to this genus the name of _Turnera_, in honour of Dr. WILLIAM TURNER, a celebrated English Botanist and Physician, who published an Herbal, black letter, folio, in 1568.

The present species is a native of the West-Indies, and is commonly cultivated in our stoves, where it rises with a semi-shrubby stalk, to the height of several feet, seldom continuing more than two or three years; young plants generally come up in plenty from seeds spontaneously scattered, so that a succession is easily obtained.

It flowers from June to August.

Its foliage has a disagreeable smell when bruised; its flowers are shewy, but of short duration, and are remarkable for growing out of the footstalk of the leaf.

[282]

HEDYSARUM OBSCURUM. CREEPING-ROOTED HEDYSARUM.

_Class and Order._

DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cor._ carina transverse obtusa. _Legumen_ articulis 1-spermis.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

HEDYSARUM _obscurum_ foliis pinnatis, stipulis vaginalibus, caule
erecto flexuoso, floribus pendulis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14._
_Murr. p. 676._ _Mant. 447._ _Jacq. Fl. Austr. v. 2. t. 168._

HEDYSARUM caule recto, ramoso; foliis ovatis; siliquis pendulis,
lævissimis, venosis. _Hall. Hist. Helv. n. 395._

ONOBRYCHIS semine clypeato lævi. _Bauh. Pin. 350._

Prof. JACQUIN, in the second volume of the _Flora austriaca_, gives an excellent figure and accurate description of our plant, a native of the Alps of Germany and Switzerland, and points out the characters in which it differs from the _alpinum_, for which it has sometimes been mistaken.

It is a hardy perennial, rarely exceeding a foot in height, produces its spikes of pendulous flowers, which are of a most beautiful purple colour, in July and August; hitherto these have not been succeeded by seed-vessels with us; though we have cultivated the plant for several years.

Its size renders it a suitable plant for rock-work, on which it will grow readily, increasing by its roots, which are of the creeping kind.

HALLER mentions a variety of it with white flowers.

[283]

MIMULUS RINGENS. NARROW-LEAVED MONKEY-FLOWER.

_Class and Order._

DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cal._ 4-dentatus, prismaticus. _Cor._ ringens; labio superiore
lateribus replicato. _Caps._ 2-locularis, polysperma.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

MIMULUS _ringens_ erectus, foliis oblongis linearibus sessilibus.
_Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 575._ _Ait. Kew. v. 2. p.
361._

EUPHRASIA floridana lysimachiæ glabræ siliquosæ foliis, quadrato
caule ramosior. _Pluk. Amalth. 83. t. 393. f. 3._

LYSIMACHIA galericulata s. Gratiola elatior non ramosa, &c. _Gron.
Fl. Virg. p. 97._

DIGITALIS perfoliata glabra flore violaceo minore. _Moris. Hist. 2.
p. 479. s. 5. t. 8. f. 6._

CLAYTON, in the _Fl. Virg._ published by GRONOVIUS, describes this plant as a native of Virginia, and says of it, "maddidis gaudet locis," it delights in wet places: LINNÆUS makes it a native of Canada also.

It is a hardy, perennial, herbaceous plant, growing with us to the height of about two feet, and producing its flowers, which are of a pale violet colour, in July and August; these are frequently succeeded by capsules containing perfect seeds, by which the plant may be propagated, as also by parting its roots in Autumn; MILLER recommends the seeds to be sown as soon as ripe.

The plant succeeds best in a moist and somewhat shady situation, with a loamy soil.

A perusal of the synonyms will shew to what a variety of genera this plant has been referred by different authors; LINNÆUS first gave to it the name of _Mimulus_, of which term we find in his _Philosophia Botanica_ the following concise explanation:--"MIMULUS mimus personatus;" in plain English, a masked mimick: MIMMULUS is a classical word for the Pedicularis, or Lousewort; the English term Monkey flower has probably been given it, from an idea that _mimulus_ originated from [Greek: mimô] a monkey, as in _mimusops_ monkey face.

[284]

ROSA SEMPERFLORENS. EVER-BLOWING ROSE.

_Class and Order._

ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Petala_ 5. _Cal._ urceolatus, 5-fidus, carnosus, collo coarctatus,
demum baccatus, coloratus. _Antrum_ duplicatum, 1-loculare, superne
apertum, pericarpiis osseis intus nidulantibus.

_Specific Character._

ROSA _semperflorens_ caule aculeato, foliis subternis, pedunculis
subunifloris aculeato-hispidis, calycis laciniis integris.

We are induced to consider the rose here represented, as one of the most desirable plants in point of ornament ever introduced to this country; its flowers, large in proportion to the plant, are semi-double, and with great richness of colour unite a most delightful fragrance; they blossom during the whole of the year, more sparingly indeed in the winter months; the shrub itself is more hardy than most greenhouse plants, and will grow in so small a compass of earth, that it may be reared almost in a coffee cup; is kept with the least possible trouble, and propagated without difficulty by cuttings or suckers.

For this invaluable acquisition, our country is indebted to the late GILBERT SLATER, Esq. of Knots-Green, near Laytonstone, whose untimely death every person must deplore, who is a friend to improvements in ornamental gardening: in procuring the rarer plants from abroad, more particularly from the East-Indies, Mr. SLATER was indefatigable, nor was he less anxious to have them in the greatest perfection this country will admit; to gain this point there was no contrivance that ingenuity could suggest, no labour, no expence withheld; such exertions must soon have insured him the first collection of the plants of India: it is now about three years since he obtained this rose from China; as he readily imparted his most valuable acquisitions to those who were most likely to increase them, this plant soon became conspicuous in the collections of the principal Nurserymen near town, and in the course of a few years will, no doubt, decorate the window of every amateur.

The largest plants we have seen have not exceeded three feet, it may no doubt be trained to a much greater height; a variety of it much more robust, having usually several flowers on a footstalk, of a pale red colour, and semi-double also, has more lately been introduced, and as far as we can learn from the same source.

[285]

JASMINUM ODORATISSIMUM. SWEETEST JASMINE.

_Class and Order._

DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Corolla_ hypocrateriformis. _Bacca_ dicocca. _Semina_ solitaria,
arillata.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

JASMINUM _odoratissimum_ foliis alternis obtusiusculis ternatis
pinnatisque, ramis teretibus, laciniis calycinis brevissimis. _Ait.
Hort. H. v. 1. p. 10._ _Linn. Syst. Veget. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 56._

JASMINUM flavum odoratum. _Barr. Ic. 62._

The flowers of most of the species of Jasmine are odoriferous, trivial names therefore expressive of this quality are ineligible, as wanting character; the present name is peculiarly objectionable, inasmuch as several other species are greatly superior to this in point of fragrance; a lesson for Botanists to abstain from trivial names of the superlative degree, such as _odoratissimum_, _foetidissimum_, _maximum_, _minimum_, &c.

The present species, according to Mr. AITON, is a native of Madeira, and was cultivated by Mr. MILLER, in 1730; it is now a plant common in most greenhouses: it will form a shrub of considerable size, which requires no support; its leaves are glossy, inclining to yellow, growing for the most part three together, sometimes pinnated; its blossoms, which are yellow, make their appearance from May to November: in point of hardiness it is superior to many greenhouse plants, and may be propagated without difficulty by cuttings.

[286]

PORTLANDIA GRANDIFLORA. GREAT-FLOWERED PORTLANDIA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cor._ clavato-infundibuliformis. _Antheræ_ 4-6. longitudinales.
_Caps._ 5-gona, 2-valvis, retusa, 2-locularis, polysperma, coronata
calyce 5-phyllo.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

PORTLANDIA _grandiflora_ floribus pentandris. _Linn. Syst. Veg. ed.
14._ _Murr. p. 213._ _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 228. foliis ovatis._
_Syst. Nat. ed. 13._ _Gmel. p. 360._

PORTLANDIA _grandiflora_ floribus pentandris, capsulis ovatis,
foliis oblongis acuminatis. _Swartz. Obs. Bot. p. 69._

Dr. BROWN, in his Natural History of Jamaica, gives to this genus the name of _Portlandia_, in honour of the Duchess Dowager of PORTLAND, who employed many of the leisure hours of a long and happy life, in the pursuits of natural history, in which she was eminently skilled.--She was the friend and patron of Mr. LIGHTFOOT, who dedicates to her his _Flora Scotica_; the fine collection of rare and valuable trees and shrubs which enrich part of the grounds at Bulstrode, were of her planting.

Dr. SWARTZ, in his Observations on the Plants of the West-Indies, informs us, that this species grows wild in Jamaica, where (_incolit calcareosa petrosa_) it inhabits calcareous rocky places[3], forms a small tree about the height of six feet, and flowers from the middle of Summer to Autumn; its bark, he observes, as in other plants of the same genus, is extremely bitter.

From Mr. AITON we learn, that it was introduced here by ---- ELLIS, Esq. in 1775.

It forms a very beautiful stove plant, not of difficult growth, and readily disposed to flower; we have seen blowing plants of it little more than a foot high; its blossoms are not only uncommonly large, shewy, and curious in their structure, but fragrant also, and very much so when dried.

It is usually increased by cuttings.

[Footnote 3: We wish that every person who describes foreign plants on the spot, would do thus; it would greatly facilitate their culture.]

[287]

GOODENIA LÆVIGATA. SMOOTH GOODENIA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Flores_ monopetali, superi. _Caps._ bilocularis. _Cor._ supra
longitudinaliter fissa, stigma urceolatum ciliatum. _Smith Trans.
Linn. Soc. v. 2. p. 346._

_Specific Character._

GOODENIA lævigata foliis obovato-lanceolatis dentatis glabris.

In the Autumn of 1792, SAMUEL TOLFREY Esq. most kindly invited me to inspect a vast number of the natural productions of Botany-Bay, in his possession; collected with great assiduity, and brought over in high preservation by Captain TENCH; among other curiosities, he shewed me specimens of the earths of that country, imported in very small bags. I suggested to Mr. TOLFREY, that those earths might possibly contain the seeds of some curious and unknown plants; he readily acquiesced in the idea, and permitted me to make trial of them: accordingly, in the Spring of 1793, I exposed them in shallow pans, on a gentle tan heat, keeping them duly watered; in the course of the Summer they yielded me fourteen plants, most of which were altogether new, and among others the species of _Goodenia_ here figured; this we have since found to be a hardy greenhouse plant, flowering from July to October, and very readily increased by cuttings.

The oldest plant in our possession is about a foot and a half high, much branched, the stalks are round and smooth to the naked eye, green below, above purplish, the leaves are smooth, a deep bright green colour, alternate, standing on footstalks, which gradually widen into the leaves, somewhat ovate, and deeply toothed; the flowers grow in the alæ of the leaves, forming a thin spike, they are sessile, of a pale violet colour, and have a peculiar smell which is rather unpleasant; at the side of each flower are two long narrow Bracteæ; the Calyx, which is placed on the germen, is composed of five short ovate leaves, which appear edged with hairs if magnified; the Corolla is monopetalous, the lower part, which at first is tubular, splits longitudinally above, and forms a kind of half tube, the edges of which are brown, the inside yellow, the outside greenish, the mouth beset with short hairs, each of which is terminated by a small villous head; the limb is deeply divided into five linear segments, spreading out like a hand, and terminated by short points; the Filaments are five in number, of a whitish colour, somewhat broadest above, rather flat, inserted into the receptacle; Antheræ oval, flattened, yellow, bilocular, a little bent, the length of the pistillum; but this is to be understood of such flowers as are not yet fully expanded, in those that are, they are much shorter, and appear withered; the Style, in flowers about to open, the length of the filaments, upright, in those that are opened much longer, and bent somewhat downward; Stigma at first upright, in the form of a cup, having the edge curiously fringed with white hairs, afterwards it closes together, loses its hollow, and assumes a flat appearance, and nods somewhat, the back part of it is bearded; Germen beneath the calyx, oblong, usually abortive with us.

The name of _Goodenia_ has been given to this genus by Dr. SMITH, in honour of the Rev. SAMUEL GOODENOUGH, LL. D. of _Ealing_, my much-honoured friend, whose name will be ever dear to Botanists for his laborious investigation of the British Carices[4].

[Footnote 4: Vide a Dissertation on the British species of Carex, by Dr. GOODENOUGH, in the second volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society.]

[288]

PASSIFLORA CILIATA. FRINGED-LEAVED PASSION-FLOWER.

_Class and Order._

GYNANDRIA HEXANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cal._ 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Stamina germini vicina. _Nectarium_
multi-radiatum. _Antrum_ pedicellatum duplicatum 1-loculare.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

PASSIFLORA _ciliata_ foliis trilobis glabris ciliato serratis
intermedio longissimo, petiolis eglandulosis. _Ait. Kew. v. 3. p.
310._

This Passion-Flower is described in the _Hort. Kew._ as a new one, under the name of _ciliata_, introduced by Mrs. NORMAN, from the West-Indies, in 1783: we saw it during the latter part of the last Summer, with great profusion of flowers, in several collections, more particularly in that of Mr. VERE, Kensington-Gore, from whence our figure and description were taken.

Its stalks are round, perfectly smooth, and run to a very great height; leaves dark green, glossy, perfectly smooth, except on the edges, where they are beset with strong glandular hairs, divided into three large and two small lobes, the middle lobe running out to a considerable length, the footstalks of the leaves are beset with a few hairs thinly scattered, at the base of each leaf is a tendril, and two finely-divided stipulæ, edged also with glandular hairs. The Involucrum is composed of three leaves, dividing into capillary segments, each of which terminates in a viscid globule, fetid when bruised; betwixt the involucrum and the blossom is a short peduncle; the pillar which supports the germen is of a bright purple colour, with spots of a darker hue, the germen is smooth and green; Styles green; Stigmata of a dark green; Filaments six in number; Antheræ pale yellow green, the former dotted with purple; of Radii, there may be said to be four rows, variegated with white and purple, petals ten, externally greenish, internally red, deeper or paler according to circumstances.

The leaves of this plant vary greatly in form, according to the health and luxuriance of the plant; on comparing it with the _foetida_, we strongly suspect it to be a variety merely of that species: time will shew.

It is increased by cuttings, or seeds.

INDEX.

In which the Latin Names of the Plants contained in the _Eighth Volume_ are alphabetically arranged.

Pl.

280 Apocynum androsæmifolium.

276 Blitum virgatum.

274 Borbonia crenata.

264 Cistus formosus.

258 Coronilla varia.

271 Cyrtanthus angustifolius.

255 Cytisus sessilifolius.

273 Diosma uniflora.

261 Erodium incarnatum.

272 Gladiolus tristis.

263 Glycine bimaculata.

268 ------- rubicunda.

270 ------- coccinea.

287 Goodenia lævigata.

282 Hedysarum obscurum.

285 Jasminum odoratissimum.

256 Ixia longiflora.

265 ---- Bulbocodium.

253 Lathyrus articulatus.

259 Lilium Catesbæi.

278 ------ candidum.

275 Liriodendron Tulipifera.

254 Lopezia racemosa.

257 Lychnis chalcedonica.

277 Mahernia pinnata.

262 Mesembryanthemum aureum.

260 Metrosideros citrina.

283 Mimulus ringens.

269 Ornithogalum nutans.

288 Passiflora ciliata.

279 Plumeria rubra.

286 Portlandia grandiflora.

267 Pyrus spectabilis.

266 Ranunculus amplexicaulis.

284 Rosa semperflorens.

281 Turnera angustifolia.

INDEX.

In which the English Names of the Plants contained in the _Eighth Volume_ are alphabetically arranged.

Pl.

267 Apple-tree Chinese.

276 Blite strawberry.

274 Borbonia heart-leaved.

264 Cistus beautiful.

272 Corn-flag square-leaved.

258 Coronilla purple.

261 Crane's-bill flesh-coloured.

266 Crowfoot plantain-leaved.

271 Cyrtanthus narrow-leaved.

255 Cytisus common.

273 Diosma one-flowered.

280 Dogsbane tutsan-leaved.

262 Fig-marigold golden.

263 Glycine purple.

268 ------- dingy-flowered.

270 ------- scarlet.

287 Goodenia smooth.

282 Hedysarum creeping-rooted.

285 Jasmine sweet.

256 Ixia long-flowered.

265 ---- crocus-leaved.

253 Lathyrus jointed-podded.

259 Lily Catesby's.

278 ---- white.

254 Lopezia mexican.

257 Lychnis scarlet.

277 Mahernia winged.

260 Metrosideros harsh-leaved.

283 Monkey-flower narrow-leav'd.

288 Passion-flower fringed-leaved.

279 Plumeria red.

286 Portlandia great-flowered.

284 Rose ever-blowing.

269 Star of Bethlehem Neapolitan.

275 Tulip-tree common.

281 Turnera narrow-leaved.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Botanical Magazine Vol. 8, by William Curtis