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Show THE H s T 0 ' • I - 0 F (' p L A N T s. I • PART III. Plants ufually called the more perj eft ones. Clafs the Fir ft. MONA N DR I A. P /ants which have only one flamen in each flower. T HE l\1onandria are of two kinds ; fome have only one fl:yle in the flower, others have two fl:yles, though but a fingle fl:amen. The Monandria are hence arranged into two orders. Th~ firft comprehends thofe which have only one .fiyle, under the name of Monogynia : the fecond, thofe which have two .fiyles, under the name of Digynia. "' Clafs the Fir.ft. Order the Firjl.o M 0 N A N D R I A M 0 N 0 G Y N I A. Plants which have only one ftamen, and one jlyle in the flower. T H E Monandria Monogynia differ confiderably in the feveral genera in the fruit. Some of them have capfules formed of three feparate cells, others produce only a fingle feed after every flower. Hence they are to be arranged into two divifions. 0 The Hijlory of P L A N T ·s. 147 Divijion the Firjl. Monandria Mongy1zia, which have aft~r every flower· a ca,pfule, divided • into three cells. C A N N A. 1 r~r THE calyx of the Canna is a perianthium, compofed of three fmall laneeohted leaves, which are coloured, which fl:a,np ereCt, and arc pei't11anent. The corolla is monopetalous, and divided into fix parts. The Iacini:r. or fegments are of a lanceoJated figu re, and cohere at their bafes : the three exterior ones are ereCt; the three inferior ones are longer than thefe, and two of them are ereCt, one reflex. The fiamen is a fingle .filament, of a lanceolatcd figure, very much ntfembling the Iaft fegment of the corolla, and placed oppofite to it, and hollow. The anthera is of a linear figure, and is affixed to the margin of the filamen t. T he germen of the piO:il is roundiili, rough, and placed below the receptacle of the flower. The fiyle is fingle and enfiform, and of the length and figme of a !egment of 'the corolla. The fiigma is of a linear figure, and adheres to the margin of the fl:yle. T he f ruit is a capfule of a roundi{b figure, fcabrous, coronatccJ , marked with three furrows, and compofed of th1ree valves, wpich form as many feparate cells in it. The feeds are of a globofe figure, and not very numerous. r. Canna foliis ovatis, utrinque acuminatis, nervojis . . ' The 'nervous atzd ovated-leaved CaPzna. The root of this plant is of a vaft fi2;e; it ~is oblong, and often of a foot, or more, in diameter; it is very fucculent, and of a whitiili colour, and creeps under the {urface Qf the ground. The fl:alk is green, fucculent, round, an inch, or more, in diameter, and fix or eight feet in height; The leaves are large, and of a bea.utiful green colour. The nerves very high and firong in them ; they fiand alternately on the fl:alk at ~onfiderable difl:ances: they are twelve inches long, and fix or eight broad; the flowe rs are large, and of a beautiful fcarlet colour. The capfule is large, and echinated on the outfide; and is roundiili, but has three angles. The feeds are large, and of a pale brown. 0 This elegant plant is not a native of any part of Europe, but Afia, Africa, and America all produce it, in confidcrable abundance, in feveral places. It is not unfreq uent with us in the gardens of the curious, but it requires care. Cafpar Bauhine calls it, Arundo Indica latifolia, p. 19. Tournefort, Cannacoms ampliil1mo folio flare rutilo, lnfi. 367. Sir Hans Sloane and others call it, Canna Indica. 2. Canna foliis lanceolatis, petiolatis, enerviis. The petiolated, lanceolated, and Jmooth-leaved Canna. T his is a very beautiful plant. It's root is large, of the thicknefs of a man's arm, fle01y, whitiili, and of a fweeti(h mucilaginous tafte, with a mixture of aufiere. The ftalks rife to be four or five feet high; they are round, of the thicknefs of a man's thumb, foft and fucculent, and of a pale green colour: the leaves are large, and of an oblong figure, feven or eight inches in length, three in diameter. They are broadeft in the middle, fmall at the bafe, and terminate in a point. They are affixed to the .fialk by fhort pedicles, and are of a pale bluifh, or greyiili-green, colour, and fmooth furface, not marked with ridges by the prominent nerves, as in the other fpecics. The flowers are very large and beautiful. This, fo far as is yet known, is only of American origin. It is a perennial plant, like the former, but it feldom flowers with us. Linnreus, in the Hortus ClifFortianus, calls it Cannoidos ; and Dillenius, in the Hortus Elthamen:fis, Cannacorus glaucophyllus ampliore flore iridis palufuis facie. The other fpecies of Canna are, 1. The broad-leaved, American Canna, with a de~p red, lhining flower. 2. The Canna, with a yellow fpotted flower. 3· Thenarrow- leaved Canna, with a yellow flower, the Albara of Pifo. T he I ndians ufe the juice of the Canna root, as~ an agglutinant and aO:ringcnt. AMOMUM. |