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Show The Hiflory of P L A N T S. iix flowers or Ia1·ge and much like thofe of the echium; the colour a deep blue, fome- 1 , , • h' times a pale blue fometimes red, fomeumes w He. . . It is a native of Germany, and grows in ~oift pl~ces. ~onnus gave 1t the name of Hydrophyllon; others have called, it Dentanre affims, echu fiore. · I T H E 0 P H R A S T A. r-Ji H E calyx of the Theophrafia is a fmall, permane?t perianthium, divided into ~ five obtufe fegments making obtufe angles alfo with one another : the corolla confifis of a fingle petal, of a campanulated figu.re, divided, in the manner of the cmp, in.to five obtufe fe·gments at the rim : the ftamma are five fubulated filaments, lborter than the corolla : the antherre are fimple: the gerrnen is oval 1 the ftyle is fuhulated, and ihorter than the corolla: the fiigma is acute. The fruit is a larg~, globofe capfule, containing only one cell : the feeds are numerous, and of a round1ili figure, and are affixed to every part of the receptacle. . . . . . . This genus comprehends the Erefia of Plumier;. lt.Js an Amencan, of wh1ch there 1s but one fpecies, and that wanting no far ther defcnpuon. P A T A G 0 N U L A. T H E calyx is a very fmall, permanent perianthiu~, divided into five fegn:en ts.: the corolla is compofed of a fingle petal : there IS fcarce any tube: the 1mb IS plane, and divided into five oval, . acute fegments : the fiamina are five filaments, of the length of the corolla : the antherre are fimple: the germen is of an oval, acute figure : the ftyle is bifid at the end, and .it's divifions are bifid again;. it. is of the length of the !lamina, and permanent: the fi1gmata are fimple. The frmt JS an oval, acuw ruinated capfule, placed on a very large cup, with oblong, emarginated fegments; this conformation of the cup is the e!fential difiinCl:ion of the genus. There is but one fpecies of this genus; it is an American, and needs no farther dew fcription than is contained in the generical charaCter. S PI G E L I A. T H E c.alyx is a monophyllous perianthium, fmall, permanent, and divided into five fegments: the corolla conijfis of a fingle petal, of the ihape of a fun nel : the tube is much longer than the cup, and is narrower below than above : the limb is patent, and divided into five fegments; the fegments broad, and acuminated : the fia· mina are five fimple filaments; the antherre are fimple : the germen is compofed of two globes : the ftyle is fingle, fubulated, and of the length of the tube: the fiigma is fimple: the perianthium confifi:s of two globofe fruits, growing together, and fituate on the cup: the feeds are roundiih, very fmall, and numerous. This genus comprehends the Arapabaca of Plumier; an American, needing no far· ther defcription than is contained in the generical charaCter. AZALEA. ·T HE calyx is a fmall, erect, acute, coloured, and permanent perianthium, di~ vided at top into five fegments: the corolla confj.fts of a fingle petal; this is twice as long as the cup, and is erett, patulous, narrow at the bafe, and at the fummit diw vided into five fegments, the fides of which bend backwards : the fiam ina are five filiform filaments, inferted into the receptacle, and free: the an ther:D are fimple : the germen is roundi(h : the ftyle is filiform, of the length of the corolla, and permanent: . the fiigma is obtufe. The fruit is a roundi{h capfule, formed of five valves, and containing five cells : the feeds are numerous, and roundi{h ·: the figure of the petal is, in fome, infundibuliform,, in fome campaniform. 1 . Azalea . TJJe Hiflory if P L A N T S. , r. Azalea ramis dijfujis procumbentibus. Tl:re dijfife, procumbent Azalea. 'fhe root is woody, fibrous, and perennial : the ftem is woody, and of the thick• nefs of a goofe-quill; it foon divides into a number of branches, and thefe, as well as itfelf, all lie on the ground, fpread in an irregular manner. The whole plant feldom exceeds ten or twelve inches in length, and often is as much in extent: the leaves ftand in pairs, very clofe to each other ; they are of the fize and ihape of thofe of thyme, and are green all winter; they fiand on Very ihort pedicles, and their edges are reflex; they are of a deep green on the upper furface, paler below, and have a hollow, longitudinal line on the upper furface, and a prominent one below, formed by the main rib. The flowers ufually fiand three together, at the ends of the branches, each on it's own ihort; red pedicle. The calyx is red ; the flower moderately large, and of a bright red; It is frequent in Denmark, Sweden, and Lapland, over-running whole tracts of land, as the erica does with us. The whole plant lies as fiat on the earth as a preffed fpecimen in a hortus ficcus, yet it does not take root from the branches. Tournefort calls it, Chamrerhododendros Alpina ferpyllifolia; Rudbeck, Lychnis Alpina frutefcens minima fiore ruberrimo ; C. Bauhine, Anonymus fruticofa foliis ericre baccifera. 2. A zalea ramis compojitis Jubere8is. The compojite, and ere8-brancbed A zalea. The root is fibrofe, woody, and perennial: the fiem is woody, tough, ahd ihruhby ~ it grows to fix or eight inches high. The branches are numerous, and three or four often grow from the fame poin t of the ftem, from th~ top of the branch of the preceding year; they fiand very dill:ant, and are covered with a rough bark, which, after a time, falls off, a new one appearing under it ready formed: the leaves are fmall, of an elliptic figu re, rigid, and have their edges bent backward. The middle rib forms a cavity on the upper furface of the leaf, and is prominent below; the upper furface is of a deep green, fprinkled over, as it were, with hard, round prominencies: the under furface is whitiili, and has more of thefe protuberances, but they are very fmalJ, and of a ferrugineous colour. The leaves ftand in clufiers, ten or twelve together, at the tops of the branches, the other part being naked. The flowers rife from the midft of thefe tufts, ufually three from each ; they are long, and of a beautiful blui!h-purple, or violet, colour, and fiand each on a £hort, reddi{h pedicle : the calyx is green. This beautiful plant is a native of the mountains of Lapland. Linnreus, who difcovered it, fuppofed it, at that time, to be the Cham<erhododendros Alpina glabra of Tournefort, the Ledum Alpinum foliis ferruginea rubigine nigricantibus; but he after~ ards allowed this to be an error, and the plant a new fpecies. OPHIORRHIZA. T HE calyx is an erect perianthium, [mall, and divided into five fegments at the . edge : the corolla is oblong, narrow at the bafe, and divided alfo into five ihort feg-ments at the edge : the fiamina are five moderately long, £lender filaments: the anther< e are tumid and ihort : the germen is bifid : the ftigmata are two, and the fruit a capfule confifiing of two lobes; the feeds ~re numerous, and roundilb. This plant approaches greatly to the azalea, but it's bifid germen and bilobous fruit fufficiently difiinguiili it both from this and all the other genera of this clafs. PLUMB A G 0. T HE calyx is a fcabrous, pentagonal perianthium, formed of one leaf, of an ovate-oblong, tubulated figure, divided into five legments at the extremity, and permanent: the corolla confifis of a 6ngle petal, of an infundibuliform ihape: the tube is cylindric, but narrowefl: above, and longer than the cup : the limb is divided into five oval, ereCl:o-patent fegments: the fiamina are five fubulated fil aments, free, and placed within the tube of the corolla, and annexed, at their bafes, to as many obtufe fquammre : the antherre are [mall> oblong, and verfatile : the germen is oval, and very fmall: the fiyle is fimple, and of the length of the tube: the iligma is £lender, and diyided into five parts : there is no pericarpium: the feed is fingle, of an oval figure, and mduded. Zzz Plumb(lgf |
