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Show 1 8 4 The Hiflory of J P L A N T S. . the Engliili being the finefl: faffron in the world, and felling every-whe~e at a t~~:; price. It is cultivated in Cambridgeiliire, and fome other ~lace:,. and m1ght be fn many more to very great advantage. The ufual way of propagau~g I.t IS by the bul~s, a reat quantity of which are produced annu~lly : thefe bulbs are lard m the ground m f1 ~in , at fix inches difiance, or lefs ; a?d m· the firft year they produce o?ly- leaves ; tfut ~1 the Ottober, of the year followmg, they flower, and the faffron ~s coJieCl:ed fi h The flowers Iafi but a day or two · after they are gone, there grow up rom t em; . ! fc d · h leaves which endure the whole winter, ?ut m fpnng fad~, and ~re not een ~rmg t e whole fummer. The time of gathenng the faffron IS mormng and evemng; ~he flowers are always gathered, as foon as well open, and a new fucceffion of them nfes daily for a month, or more. The bu~bs a;e oft~n taken up, after they. have flowered, and kept in a dry place, in the open air, tJll fprmg, when they are put mto the ground ag~he faffron produced from this flower is as powerful a ~mple as ~lmoft a?y the vegetable world affords us : it is a noble cordial, and fudonfic, a~1d IS good m nervous and hyfieric cafes. It is an ingredie~t ~n many of t_he comp~fitwns of the fhops, and is frequent in extemporaneous prefcnptwn. . The. colour of the flower of this plant varies almoft witho~t end, whence the~e .are a multitude of varieties beautiful enough, and honoured wah th~ names of chfimct fpecies by authors; but thefe: difiinClions are the bufinefs of the flonfi, not ~f the b?tanHt. Tournefort has given fpecific names to. near a hundred .and fifty ~uhps, wh.Ile in reality there is but one ; and to almoft twice as many hyacmths, whrle m reality there are b'ut two fpecies of that genus. L I X I A. T HE calyx of the Ixia is a .cmnpou?d fpatha,. con~aining feve;al flowers. The exterior fquammre are larger and thrcker, the mtenor ones thmner ; the former are of an ovato-lanceolate figure, and lacerated a~ the edges ; the latter, ?r in terior, are alfo lacerated at the edges, and are permanent, and feparate the germma. The corolla confills of fix equal petals of an oblong, lanceolated figure : the ftamina are three fub ulated filaments, of not half the length of the flower; the antherre are fimple. The gt!rmen of the pifiil is oval and triquetrous; it is placed under the receptacle of the fio \i cr. The fiyle is fimple, eretl, and of the length of the ftamina : the ftigma is trifid and thick. The fruit is• a capfule of a triquetrous, fuboval figure, compofed of three valves, and containing three compreifed cells, in each of which is a fingle roundiili feed. · Ixia Joliis enjiformibus, Jloribus remotis. Tl:Je Ix.ia, with fword-like leaves, and remote f/orr£!ers. , r The root of this fpecies is tuberous, an inch, or more, in diameter ; branched out into many'ramifications, and creeping under the furface of the ground. The leaves are ten or twelve inches long; they rife in clufters, and are an inch, or more, in breadth ; broadefi toward the bafe, and tapering all the way t~ , a point ,:. t~ey, are qf a tough, flexile ftrutl:ure, and pale bluiili-green .. colour : I the floweFS ~re yellow, fpotted with orange colour. · I '' : ' G L A D 1. 'o'' L U S. T HE calyx of the Gladiolus is in a ma~ner wanting; there are. only two or three vague fpathre. The corolla confifis of fix petals, which unite juft at their bafe; they are all of an oblong figure, and obtufe: the three upper ones bend toward one an?ther, the thre~ lower are .reflex: t~e .(hort tube, which they form, when they umte at the bafe, IS crooked. The fiamma are three fubulated filaments inferted into the alternate petals of the coro1la; they are all covered by th~ connive~t petals; the anthe~re are oblong. The germen of the pifiil is placed below the receptacle ; the ~yle 1s ~~ple, and of the l~ngth of the ftamina ; the fiigma is trifid and concave. fhe frmt IS an oblong, belhed capfule, obfcurely trigonal, obtufe, formed of three valves, T6J Hijlory of P L A N T S. rBs valves, and containing three cells. The feeds are numerous, roundiili, and covered with a calyptra. This genus comprehends the Gladiolus of Tournefort, M;alpighi, and Rivinus. \[ r{ ' J1 • .. ~l~ .:~. Gladiolus foliis enjiformibus bulbo duplici. o 'Il:Je fwdrd-..Jeaved G/adiole, with a double bulb. ' The root of this plant confifts of two bulbs, laid one over another ; they are folid and fleiliy, and are covered with feveral reticular coats, and f~r.nilhed with fibres at the bottom. The leaves grow in the manner of thofe of the ms ; they are long, and very narrow; ftriated, of a bl_uiili-green colour, and terminate in a point. From among thefe leaves rifes the fialk; it is round, flender, fucculent, green, and two feet high. The flowers ftand in a long feries toward the top of this ftalk, fix or eight in number: they ·are large, and of a beautiful rofe colour, but with more brightnefs than the rofe. They ftand at an inch, or more, difiance from one another, and all hang on one fide of the ftalk : the whole plant has a fweetifh, and fomewhat acrid, tafte. It is a native of Spain, Italy, and fome parts of France. C. Bauhine calls it, Gladiolus floribus uno verfu difpofitis. J. Bauhine, Gladiolus five Xiphion. Parkinfon, Gladiolus Narbonenfis. '" I 1i : ,Y 2 •. Gladiolus foliis latisl bulbo Jimplici. ' n · · The' 1JJJoaa-leaved Gladfole, 'with a Jingle bulb. I • .C 1 The root of this fpecies is a fi~gle bulb, large, compreffed, folid, covered with a few membraiies, "and · furniilied with feveral fibres. It's fleiliy part is of a deep red ; it's tafte very acrid 1and burning. The leaves are oblong and broad, a foot and half in length, and twb tfiches in .br~adth; they are of a bluifh-green colour, .and .firm texture. . Tlfe ft~lk grqw~ frpm tamo,ng them, and IS ufually fimple, fomettme~ ramofe; it is rounded, gteeh, and•· very orittle : th$! flowers are large, and fta~d 111 double rows ; they a're of a deep_ purpl~ on the outfide, .and of a deep yellow, With fome purple ·lines I within. The whole ftalk is of a deep blackifh purple, and the flowers fiand on fho_rt' purp_le pedu~cles, cove~ed each by two ~la~kifh-red. leaves. . This is a native of the Cape of Good Hope; tt ts met with, however~ 111 fome of our ftoves. C. Bauhine calls it, Gladiolus ~axitnus Indicus; and Cornutus, Gladiolus 1Ethiopicus flore coccineo. . . . The other fpecies of the Gladiolus are, I. The great, Turktfh, purple Glad10le. ~. The dwarf broad-leaved Gladiole. 3· The dwarf graffy-leaved Gladiol:. Thefe feem to be really difiinct rfpecies : but, befide thefe, Tournefort and others gtve names to feveral varieties of one or other of thefe, under the opinion of their being difiinct fpecies. • The flowers are forrietimes white, fometimes of a deeper, and fometimes of a paler, red; and this, and their different difpofition, has given origin to thefe imaginary fpecies. 1. • ,_r A. N ·T H 0 L .Y z ·A. ' . • I I T HE Antholyza has no cal~x ; there are only •fome vague, alternate, imbricated, and permanent fpathre, which feparate the flowers. The corolla confifts of a fing1e petal: 'the bafe of it. is a tube, which by degrees expands into a large, compreffed, ~nd ripgent ·moutb. .The upper lip. ~s il:rait, very long, flender and undulated, and at it's bafe, .hfls two G1ort lacinice ,: the 'lower lip is iliorter, divided into three fegments, ~nd the lower or middle one of thefe is propendent. The ftamina are three long flen~ er filaments i two of them are lodged under the upper lip, one upon the lower: the antherre are acute. The germen of the pifiil fiands under the receptacle: the ftyle is filiform, and has the fame length and fituation with the two upper filaments: the ftigma -i~ trifid, capillary, and refte;x. The;-: fruit is a roundiili, but obfcurely trigonal, capfu) e, formed of three valves, and containing three cells ; in each of which are feveral angular feeds. · Of this genus we know only one fpecies, which has been ufed to be ranked among the Gladioli. Bbb ANTHOLYZA. |