The Botanist's Repository for New and Rare Plants

Part 1

Vol. 1.

of the Botanist’s Repository

Comprising Colour’d Engravings

New and Rare Plants

ONLY

With Botanical Descriptions &c.

----in----

Latin and English,

after the

Linnæan System.

H. Andrews

Botanical Painter Engraver, &c. ]

PREFACE.

The utility of this undertaking at a crisis, when the taste for Botanical pursuits so universally prevails, will, it is presumed, be readily admitted by all those engaged in them, whether as theorists, collectors, or cultivators. Such a work, under the immediate direction of some principal leader in the science, of this country, has been a desideratum of long expectance; but either from the great expence necessarily incurred, before any adequate return could be made, or from the trouble attendant on publications, where colouring forms so considerable a part, as yet, every similar attempt has proved abortive. The Bot. Mag. of Mr. Curtis, a work of singular merit in its way, has occasionally furnished, it is true, a few specimens of new plants; but the greatest part, as its title-page indicates, consists of those well known, common plants, long cultivated in our gardens; the direct reverse of the proposals and intentions of the author, in the prosecution of this. From a wish to prevent confusion, it was a determined principle at the outset of the work, not to give any generic or specific synonims; but to follow the most generally accepted names, of known and named plants, without a cavil, of our best English botanists, or cultivators, if no flagrant error was perceptible, according to the Linnæan system: being satisfied, nothing contributed so much to repress the ardour of young botanists as the difficulty of affixing the right name to those plants, which, (from a captious desire in every publisher, to foist in something of his own coinage, upon the most trifling supposed difference,) have undergone several changes of title. If the plant was a certain novelty, with us, to have followed the sexual system, without a schism; upon that truly grand and comprehensive scale of nature; when the formation of a new genus was necessary; if not, to refer it to some one already made, if such was to be found, in any orthodox author: the specific name to be formed from some opposed, leading feature, in the habits of the different species of the genus. But although such were the Author’s intentions, when he entered on this business, yet, from a wish to oblige many of the supporters of the work, who have signified a wish that synonims should be given, an alphabetical Index, with all the various Synonims collated from the best authorities, shall be printed separate for the use of those who may wish for such an addition.

As a fair excuse for the Author, (who throws himself upon the candour of the Public,) in extenuation of the inaccuracies which have, and will necessarily occur in the prosecution of the work, it is just to say, that the difficulties to be encountered, and of which none but those engaged in similar concerns can form any adequate idea, are incalculable; arising chiefly from the nature of a monthly publication, composed entirely of novelty, which cannot be anticipated, and of course, so very little time can be allotted for revisal or correction. To remedy as far as possible such slips, a list of Erratæ will be given, with the Index, at the close of each volume.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE, Oct. 1799.

ERRATA, VOL. I.

Plate 2. Springalia, lege, Sprengelia. Bloss. one leaf, read, one petal. Peri. 4-valvis, 4-locul. l. 5-val. 5-loc. S. V. 4 val. 4 cells, r. 5 val. 5 cells.

3. Cor. æquila, l. æqualia. Emp. Sheath, r. Sheaths.

7. Calyx, multiflorium, l. multiflorum.

9. Calyx, diciduis, l. deciduis. Stam. acumenatæ, l. acuminatæ.

11. Sp. Ch. post roseis, ins. (,).

12. Ord. II. r. IV. Seeds, become, r. becomes.

14. Emp. cup, r. sheath. Poin. put (,) after beneath.

15. Standard, cut, r. cup.

20. Sem. acumenatæ, l. acuminatæ.

23. Bloss. after spreading, put (,). No. 2 of Ref. put (the) before chives.

25. Sp. Ch. post plenis, ins. (,).

Part 2

27. Ord. II. r. IV.

30. Line 6th of Descr. leave out (not).

37. Ord. II. r. IV.

41. Bloss. one leaf, r. one petal; divided into six, r. with six divisions.

47. Stam. post subulata, ins. (,).

65. Emp. fruit-stalks, r. fruit-stalk.

67. Descr. line 2d, for makes an addition to, r. makes one of.

THE

BOTANIST’S REPOSITORY,

FOR

NEW, AND RARE PLANTS.

CONTAINING

COLOURED FIGURES

OF SUCH PLANTS, AS HAVE NOT HITHERTO APPEARED IN ANY SIMILAR PUBLICATION;

WITH ALL THEIR ESSENTIAL CHARACTERS, BOTANICALLY ARRANGED, AFTER THE SEXUAL SYSTEM OF THE CELEBRATED LINNÆUS;

IN ENGLISH, AND LATIN.

TO EACH DESCRIPTION IS ADDED,

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PLANT,

AS TO ITS TIME OF FLOWERING, CULTURE, NATIVE PLACE OF GROWTH, WHEN INTRODUCED, AND BY WHOM.

THE WHOLE EXECUTED BY

HENRY ANDREWS,

AUTHOR OF THE COLOURED ENGRAVINGS OF HEATHS, IN FOLIO.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY T. BENSLEY, AND PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, Nº 5, KNIGHTSBRIDGE.

To be had of J. WHITE, Fleet-street, and all the Booksellers.

1797.

PLATE I.

CORTUSA MATTHIOLI.

Part 3

Alpine Sanicle.

CLASS V. ORDER I.

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Five Chives. One Pointal.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Perianthium quinquefidum, persistens; laciniis obtusis, concavis.

COROLLA. Monopetala, rotata, quinquepartita, laciniis sub-rotundis, ad quarum basin prominent tubercula quinque.

STAMINA. Filamenta quinque brevia. Antheræ bipartitæ, oblongæ, erectæ, exteriori parte affixæ.

PISTILLUM. Germen ovatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma simplex.

PERICARPUIM. Capsula ovata-oblonga, utrinque longitudinaliter sulcata, unilocularis, apice quinquevalvi, valvularum marginibus involutis.

SEMINA numerosa, oblonga, scabra.

EMPALEMENT. Cup with five divisions, permanent; the segments blunt, and concave.

BLOSSOM. One leaf, wheel-shaped, five divisions, segments nearly round, having five prominent tubercles at their base.

CHIVES. Five short threads. Tips divided in two, oblong, upright, and fixed to the blossom by their backs.

POINTAL. Seed-bud egg-shaped. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit simple.

SEED-VESSEL. Capsule oblong egg-shaped, channelled on each side, of one cell, the top has five valves, which are turned inward at their margins.

SEEDS many, oblong, and rough.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Cortusa, foliis cordatis, laciniatis, petiolatis; calycibus corolla brevioribus.

Sanicle, with heart-shaped jagged leaves that have foot-stalks; empalements shorter than the blossoms.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement, and Fruit-stalk. 2. The Blossom cut, and spread open, to expose the situation of the Chives. 3. The Pointal, magnified.

This beautiful little herbaceous plant, a native of the Germanic Alps, was known to, and described by all the elder, as well as modern botanical theorists; yet till this time, has there not been one good representation of it. Having been nearly lost to us for a number of years, it may be considered as deserving a place amongst those plants we deem rare; as a specimen of such it has been given. It delights much in shade; is perfectly hardy; thrives best in a light but pure soil; as dung, or other mixtures, are apt to rot the roots when in a state of inaction; flowering in May and June, and producing seeds. But the surest mode of propagation is by the root, which may be divided with success about September.

PLATE II.

SPRINGALIA INCARNATA.

Star-flowered Springalia.

CLASS XIX. ORDER VI.

SYNGENESIS MONOGAMIA. Tips united. Flowers simple.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Part 4

CALYX. Perianthium monophyllum, quinquefidum, persistens.

COROLLA. Monopetala, quinquefida, rotata, laciniis acumenatis.

STAMINA. Filamenta quinque, lineares, receptaculo inserta. Antheræ pilosæ, erectæ, conatæ in cylindrum.

PISTILLUM. Germen superum, turbinatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma obtusum.

PERICARFIUM. Capsula quadrivalvis, quadrilocularis.

SEMINA plurima, minima, rotunda.

EMPALEMENT. Cup one leaf, cut into five segments, and remaining.

BLOSSOM. One leaf, cut into five segments, wheel-shaped, the divisions sharp pointed.

CHIVES. Five threads, linear, fixed into the receptacle. Tips hairy, upright, united into a cylinder.

POINTAL. Seed-bud above, turban-shaped. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit blunt ended.

SEED-VESSEL. Capsule four valves, four cells.

SEEDS many, small, and round.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Springalia, foliis alternis, amplexicaulibus, mucronatis; corollis sub-solitariis, incarnatis, rigidis, micantibus.

Springalia, with alternate leaves, embracing the stem, and sharp pointed; blossoms mostly single, flesh-coloured, harsh, and shining.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement, (natural size). 2. The Blossom divided from the Empalement. 3. The Chives, Pointal, and Seed-bud, (magnified). 4. The Seed-vessel, and Pointal, (magnified).

The Springalia, must certainly rank among the most beautiful of the various new genera which have been introduced from New Holland; the delicacy, brilliancy, and number, of its blossoms render it particularly attractive, whilst their extreme permanency adds greatly to its merits; the flower being of such singular durability, as to retain nearly the same appearance when the seeds are perfected, as at their first opening. The figure before us, was taken from a plant in the nursery garden of Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith, who raised it from seeds about three years since, and where it has flowered these two successive years. The Botany-bay plants, (as they are generally called) are best preserved in the greenhouse; but although this is sufficiently hardy for such treatment, yet its situation must be dry, being very susceptible of damps, flourishing best in sandy peat earth; continues flowering through the whole summer; and propagates easily by cuttings. The characters, and habit of this genus, like almost all the plants from New Holland, being perfectly new, there was a necessity to form a fresh generic name for it; which has been done by the deservedly eminent Dr. J. E. Smith, botanical professor, and president of the Linnæan Society.

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