Part 86

Epigæa with stems that lay on the earth; leaves between heart and egg-shape, quite entire, and netted; blossoms salver-shaped.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The two Cups of the Empalement. 2. The inner Cup, disengaged from the outer. 3. A Blossom cut open, to shew its hairy interior. 4. The Chives and Pointal, as they stand in the Blossom. 5. The Pointal, (magnified).

The Creeping Epigæa is the only species of the genus yet in Britain; it was first introduced by P. Collinson, Esq. in 1736, from N. America; where it is found in most parts, from Virginia, as far north as Canada. The flowers of this plant are extremely fragrant, and are produced from March till May. Hitherto, very few situations have been found congenial to its cultivation, or growth; indeed, so subject is it to perish from the moisture, or changeableness of atmosphere in our winter months, to which it is not subject in its native clime, being during that season covered with a deep snow; that unless an occasional supply had not been procured from America, the plant must, long ere this, have been lost to us. The soil which appears best adapted for its preservation, is a light sandy loam: if planted in the open air, it should have a sheltered situation, on a dry border; but the most likely mode to preserve it, is by keeping it as a greenhouse plant. It is with difficulty increased by cuttings, but may be divided at the root, with success, in March. Our figure was made at the nursery of Mess. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith, this year, in the month of April.

PLATE CIII.

PROTEA SPECIOSA, nigra.

Black-flowered Protea.

CLASS IV. ORDER I.

TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Four Chives. One Pointal.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

COROLLA 4-fida, seu 4-petala. Antheræ lineares, insertæ petalis infra apicem. Calyx proprius, nullus. Sem. folitaria.

BLOSSOM 4-cleft, or of 4 petals. Tips linear, inserted into the petals below the points. Cup proper, none. Seeds solitary.

See PROTEA FORMOSA, Vol. I. Plate XVII.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Protea foliis longis, lineari-lanceolatis; squamæ calycinæ interiores apice incurvatæ, barbatæ, nigræ.

Protea with long leaves, between linear and lance-shaped; the inner scales of the empalement are turned inward at the end, bearded, and black.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A Blossom complete, as it stands in the Empalement. 2. The four Petals of the Flower thrown open, to shew the situation and character of the tips. 3. The Seed-bud, Shaft, and Summit.

It is to the curious and beautiful structure of the empalement, (the flowers being nearly concealed within it,) that this species of Protea owes its specific title, and for which it is so much admired. There are different varieties of it, which are considered by Thunberg, in his Diss. de Prot. of 1781, as distinct species; but which are certainly only varieties of one stock: we have drawings of two of these, the one flesh-coloured, the other white; and hope to be able to demonstrate as just, our postulatum, when the synonims are given, as proposed, at the close of this volume. This plant was first introduced to the Royal Gardens at Kew, from the Cape of Good Hope, in 1786, by Mr. F. Masson: it flowers at a very early age, and when the stem is not more than two feet high, mostly from the centre or leading branch of the plant. It is propagated by cuttings, which should be put in about the end of May, three or four, at most, in a pot, filled with good stiff loam, which should be pressed hard to the lower end of the cuttings, and the pot placed under a hand-glass in the shade. When the plants are to be removed into separate pots, it will be necessary to add a small portion of peat earth to the loam, and place them in an airy and dry part of the greenhouse. These directions are necessary to be observed, in the culture of nearly every species of this extended genus. Our figure was taken in the month of July 1799, from a plant in the Hibbertian collection, Clapham-common.

PLATE CIV.

LACHNÆA ERIOCEPHALA.

Woolly-headed Lachnæa.

CLASS VIII. ORDER I.

OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Eight Chives. One Pointal.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

CALYX. Perianthium monophyllum, persistens; tubo longo, tenui; limbo quadripartito, inæquali; lacinia summa retrofracta, minima; laciniis reliquis tribus erectis; intermedia majore.

COROLLA nulla.

STAMINA. Filamenta octo capillaria, erecta, longitudine ferme floris. Antheræ simplices.