Part 85

1. The Chives and Pointal, cleared from the Blossom. 2. A Chive. 3. The Pointal.

Though we have little doubt in referring this plant to the title under which we have figured it, and by which it has been long known to most botanists, at least by name; yet have we great ones, whether it ought in any wise to be considered as such. Thunberg, perhaps the only botanist, who has seen it in flower, thought so, and placed it to a genus he had named Fabricia. Certainly no one character of the genus Hypoxis, can be traced in the flower. The husk is of one valve, the petals not even close at the base, the threads flat, the summits three, and halbert-shaped, the shaft pillar-shape and short, &c. But, as upon our old plea, we do not choose to change generic names when long established, this plant, for us, must still remain an Hypoxis; tho’ it could not now be placed, at any rate, to Fabricia, as that title is given to a family of plants, natives of New Holland. The star-flowered Hypoxis is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, is rather a tender bulb, and does not often flower. It was according to the Kew Catalogue first introduced to the Royal Gardens by Mr. F. Masson, in the year 1788; but as the time of flowering is not mentioned, we suppose it did not flower there. The root should, like other Cape bulbs, be removed from the pot after flowering, and replanted in October. It propagates itself pretty freely by offsets, if planted in light sandy peat, mixed with a little loam. The drawing was made in June, this present year, at the Hammersmith nursery.

PLATE CII.

EPIGÆA REPENS.

Creeping Epigæa.

CLASS X. ORDER I.

DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Ten Chives. One Pointal.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Perianthium duplex, approximatum, persistens.

P. exterius triphyllum; foliolis ovato-lanceolatis, acuminatis; exteriore majore.

P. interius quinquepartitum, erectum, exteriore paulo longius; foliolis lanceolatis, acuminatis.

COROLLA monopetala, hypocrateriformis; tubus cylindricus, intus hirsutus; limbus patens, quinquepartitus, lobis ovato-oblongis.

STAMINA. Filamenta decem, filiformia, longitudine tubi. Antheræ oblongæ, acutæ.

PISTILLUM. Germen globosum, villosum. Stylus filiformis, longitudine staminum. Stigma obtusum, subquinquefidum.

PERICARPIUM. Capsula sub-globosa, depressa, pentagona, quinquelocularis, quinquevalvis.

SEMINA plurima, subrotunda.

Receptaculum magnum quinquepartitum.

EMPALEMENT. Cup double, close together, and remaining.

Outer cup three-leaved; leaflets between lance and egg-shape, pointed; the outer one the largest.

Inner cup of five divisions, upright, a little longer than the outer; leaflets lance-shaped and pointed.

BLOSSOM one petal, salver-shaped; tube cylindrical, hairy within; the border spreading with five divisions, the segments of an oblong egg-shape.

CHIVES. Ten thread-shaped threads the length of the tube. Tips oblong, and tapered.

POINTAL. Seed-bud globular and hairy. Shaft thread-shaped, the length of the chives. Summit blunt, and slightly five-cleft.

SEED-VESSEL. Capsule nearly globular, flattened, five-sided, five cells, and five valves.

SEEDS many, roundish.

Receptacle large, of five divisions.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Epigæa caulibus procumbentibus; foliis cordato-ovatis, integerrimis, reticulatis; corollis hypocrateriformibus.