Part 22

4. One Capsule of the Seed-vessel detached.

This genus of Plants must class with Linnæus’s natural order of Succulents, nearly approaching Crassula in habit; but as the Sexual System is the basis of our theory, we cannot admit it under that or any other yet described genus; we have therefore named it after James Vere, Esq. long and well known for his extended and liberal patronage to the professors and cultivators of the science; in whose beautiful and select collection at Kensington Gore, the present species, has for the first time, flowered in this kingdom. Mr. Anderson the gardener informs us, that this plant is a native of Sierra Leone; from whence it was sent to England, by Professor Eld. Elfzelius, in the year 1793; that he has treated it as a tender hot-house plant, keeping it constantly in the tan bed, by which means he has made it flower; but from every appearance of the plant, we should be led to think the common treatment of hot-house Succulents would answer for this. It is easily propagated by cuttings; grows to the height of three or four feet, having when in flower the appearance of a middle sized shrub; blows in the winter months, and thrives best in rich mould.

PLATE XXII.

GOODENIA CALENDULACEA.

Cape Marygold-leaved Goodenia.

CLASS V. ORDER I.

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Five Chives. One Pointal.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Perianthium quadrifidum, superum, persistens.

COROLLA monopetala, supra longitudinaliter fissa, genitalia exferens; limbo quinquefido, secundo.

STAMINA. Filamenta quinque, receptaculo inserta. Antheræ lineares.

PISTILLUM. Germen inferum. Stylus simplex. Stigma urceolatum, ciliatum.

PERICARPIUM. Capsula oblonga, bilocularis, bivalvis; dissepimento parallelo.

SEMINA plura, scabrida.

EMPALEMENT. Cup four-cleft, above, and remaining.

BLOSSOM of one leaf, cleft longitudinally on the upper side, exposing the organs of fructification; border five-cleft, leaning one way.

CHIVES. Five threads fixed into the receptacle. Tips linear.

POINTAL. Seed-bud beneath. Shaft simple. Summit pitcher-shaped, and fringed.

SEED-VESSEL. Capsule oblong, with two cells, and two valves; partition parallel to the valves.

SEEDS many and rough.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Goodenia, foliis obovatis, crassis, scabridis; floribus axilaribus, cæruleis.

Goodenia with inversely egg-shaped, thick rough leaves; flowers sitting close to the stem, and blue.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Flower with all its parts complete. 2. A Blossom without the organs of fructification. 3. The Chives, Pointal, and Seed-bud (magnified).

The Goodenias are all natives of New Holland, and received their generic name of Dr. J. E. Smith, President of the Linnæan Society; in honour of the Rev. Dr. Goodenough, whose valuable dissertation on the British species of Carex, does him the highest honour, as a botanist. The species of this genus (as yet discovered) are ten, from which we may infer that they are numerous; those only yet introduced to Britain are, the lævigata, ovata, and the present species; the others are described by the President, in the second volume of the Linnæan Transactions. This plant, though not to be ranked amongst the handsomest productions of that country, so replete with novelty, is yet possessed of sufficient merit to give it a place in our collections of greenhouse plants, flowering about the month of August; delighting most in an airy situation, and light soil. It is easily propagated by cuttings. Our figure was taken from a plant which flowered at the Hammersmith nursery, in 1797; where it had been raised from seeds, communicated by Colonel Paterson, then commanding at Port Jackson; to whose assiduous labours in collecting seeds, &c. the cabinets and collections of our natural historians are so very much indebted.

PLATE XXIII.

IXIA CAPITATA. Var. ovata.