Part 35

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Five Chives. One Pointal.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

COROLLA irregularis, fauce nuda.

BLOSSOM irregular, mouth naked.

See ECHIUM GRANDIFLORUM, Plate XX.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Echium caule fruticoso; ramis, foliisque aculeatis; floribus spicatis, violaceis; corollis sub-æqualibus.

Viper’s Bugloss, with a shrubby stem; branches and leaves covered with sharp prickles; flowers growing in spikes, and violet coloured; blossoms nearly equal.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement. 2. A Blossom cut open, to shew the insertion of the Chives in the tube. 3. The Shaft and its Summit, magnified.

Although there are few species of this genus, but are rough, or hairy; yet this by far exceeds any of them, or almost any other plant not actually spiny, for its extreme coarseness to the touch; nevertheless it is a very handsome shewy greenhouse plant, growing to the height of two feet, and blowing freely. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and was introduced by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy in 1794; at whose nursery it flowered for the first time, this year, in the month of July. The only method of propagating the Cape Echiums is by cuttings, and that is done with great difficulty; of course, this, as well as the other species, are very scarce: they delight most in rich light mould.

PLATE XL.

CHELONE CAMPANULOIDES.

Bell-flowered Chelone.

CLASS XIV. ORDER II.

DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. Two Chives longer. Seeds covered.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX 5-partitus. Rudimentum filamenti quinti inter suprema stamina. Capsula bilocularis.

EMPALEMENT of five divisions. The rudiment of a fifth thread is found placed between the upper chives. Capsule of two cells.

See Plate XXXIV. CHELONE RUELLIOIDES.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Chelone foliis oppositis, sessilibus, acuminatis, profunde serratis; corollis campanulatis, purpureis.

Chelone with opposite leaves fitting close to the stem, tapering to the point, and deeply sawed; blossoms bell-shaped, and purple.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Blossom cut open, to shew the situation of the four Chives, and station of the fifth imperfect thread. 2. The Pointal, (natural size). 3. The Seed-vessel, with the Empalement and Shaft still remaining attached.

This species of Chelone is of the same date in our gardens as the Chelone Ruellioides, and was introduced through the same medium: it is a native of Mexico in South America; will make a pretty addition to our greenhouse exotics; and is described and engraved by A. J. Cavanilles, in his first volume of Spanish plants. It seems to thrive best in rich, dungy earth, and is easily propagated by cuttings, or seeds; of which latter it produces abundance; but does not appear to be long lived. The plant from which this figure was taken, flowered (as we suppose for the first time in England) in the collection of B. Robertson, Esq. of Stockwell in Surry, and kindly communicated by him to the author.

PLATE XLI.

LACHENALIA PENDULA.