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Show The HijJory of P L A N T S. The other fpecies are, 1. The narrow-leaved Portulaca. 2. The broad-leaved, redflowered Portulaca. 3· The oblong, narrow, and glo!fy-leaved Portulaca. 4. The procumbent, capparis-leaved Portulaca. 5· The woolly Portulaca. A N A C A M P S E R 0 S. T HE calyx is a permanent, bivalve perianthium, of an ovate-acuminated figure; the valves are hollowed, acute, and embrace one another : the corolla confifl:s of five roundilh, hollow, patent petals, nearly equal in fize: the fi amina are numerous, capillary filaments, of about half the length of the corolla : the a n ther~ are fimple; the germen is roundi.lh; the fl:yle is fimple; the fl:igmata are three and are thick: the fruit is an oval, but fomewhat triangular, capfule, formed of 1 three valves, containing three cells : the receptacle is free : the feeds are numerous, fmall and roundilh. ' This genus comprehends the Telephiafl:rum of Dillenius. Anacampferos foliis ovatis convexis acutizifculis. The Anacampferos, with oval, convex, and fomewhat acute leaves. The root is wh!te and fibrous : the fl:alk is round, very ramofe, and procumbent: the leaves are thtck, fucculent, and pointed at the extremities : the flowers fiand on Ion g pedicles, at the extremities of the branches ; they are of a bright and beautiful red colour. It is a native of Ethiopia, but it is kept in fome of our fl:oves. D illenius calls it Telephiaftrum flo~e globofo; Ray, Portulaca fernpervirens flore rubra. , The other fpectes are, 1. The tree Anacampferos, with cuneiform leaves. 2 . The fuort-leaved Anacampferos. T HE c~lyx is a very fmall, plane, permanent perianthium, divided into fix roundtili,, obtufe leaves: the corolla confifis of fix large, roundilh, hollow, equal pet~ls: the fiamma are numerous filaments, about two hundred; they are very ilender, captlla~y, and 1horter th~n the flower : the antherre are fimple; the germen is globofe at~d tngonal : ~h~ fiyle ts fubulated, and of the length of the fiamina : the fiigma is tnple.: the fi·Ult lS a capfule, formed of three globular bodies, growing together; it cont~ms three cells, and opens into three parts at the top : the feeds are fingle, globofe, and mternally angulated. Of this genus there is but one known fpecies. THE A. This 1hr~b grows to five feet ~igh, and is very ramofe. It's root is fpreading and fi~rous.. Its l.eaves are about an mch long, near half an inch b oad, ferrated, and termma~ e Ill a pomt. ~he flowers are large, white, and very beautiful. It ts a na:1~e of Chma a?d Japan. It is planted alfo in many parts of the Eafi, for the fake of Its leaves, whtch ~re our Te~. All the kinds of that precious. commodity are the leaves of the fame fpec1es, an~ d1ffer only according to the time at 'which they are gathere.d, and the manner of curmg them; fome are gathered in t;.,e bud, fome, w~en opemng, and. fome, when more fully expanded; and fome are dried with arti~ clal heat, fome Wtthout. B I X A. THE calyx is a very fmall, per~anent perianthium, divided into five .lhort fegments at the top: the corolla ts double ; the exterior one confifis of five large, ~blon~, equal, and thick petals; the interior, of five petals alfo like thofe of the ,other, ~t ~ mner: t~e ftamina are numerous, fetaceous filaments, ~f about half the length 0 t e corolla· the anther:e are ereCt; the germen is oval; the fiyle is filiform, and of the length of the ftamma: the ftigma is parallely bifid, and comprefled : 'the fru~t IS The Hijlory of P L A N T s. is an ovat~o.cordated', compreffed .. capfule, furrounded with hairs, fdrmed df two valves, openmg at the angles, contammg only one cell, but with an interior bivalve mem ... brane: ~he. feeds are ?u~erous, turbinated, and truncated at the umbilicus : the receptacle IS lmear, longitudmal, and grows to the middle of the valves. Of this genus there is but one known fpecies. , B I X A. '3r~t 11toucon::ttte. The tre~ , ~ifes to t~enty o~ thirty feet high; the wood is white, the bark brown. ·The leave.s ~~nd alternately; they are of a heart-l.ike fhape, poi.Qted at the .extremity, about three mches long, and are placed on long pedtcles. The flowers fiand m clullers at the extremities of the branches, and are large and white. 'the fruit is of the fiz~ of a large plum. It is a native of the warmer parts of America. Tournefort calls it, Mitella maxima tinCloria; Plukenet, Orleana, or Orellana folliculis lappaceis. A reddi{h matter, ufed in dyin_g, is prepared from the fruit, and other parts of the tree, called, by a very improper name, Terra Orleana. C!afs the Thirteenth. Order the Second. P 0 L Y A N ·D R I A D I G Y N I A. 1 Plant~ ~hich ~ave in, every jlow~r numerous }lamina and two }lyles. r • 1 • HEL. I'OCARPUS. T HE calyx is a d~ciduous perianthium, compofed of four long, and fomewhat broad, linear, and p;ttent leaves: the corolla confifis of four petals: confiderably fuorter and narrower than ~he leaves of the cup, but alfo linear in figure: the framina are fixteen fubulated filaments, nearly of the length of the cup: the antherre are didymous, linear, and incumbent .: the germen is roundilh : the fryles are two, ereCt, and of the length of the fl:amina: the fiigmata are acute and diflant: the fruit is a pedunculated capfule, of a turbinated, oval figure, containing two cells, and furrounded perpendicularly with pinnately ramofe radii: the feeds are fingle and oval. It is a native of America, and is defcribed by Houfion. ,, ·P.lEONIA. T HE calyx is a fmall, permanent perianthium, compofed of fi ve roundilh, hollow leaves, unequal both in their fize and fituation : the corolla confifis of five very large, roundilh, hollow, paten.t petals, narrowefi: toward the bafe: the fiamina are very numerous, fhort, capillary filaments: the antherre are large, oblong, quadrangular, erect, and contain four cells: the germina are two ; they are oval, ereCt, and hairy : there are no fi:yles; the fiigmata are compre!fed, oblong, obtufe, and coloured: the fruit confifts of two capfules, reflexo-patent, of an oblong, oval figure, hairy, containing each one cell, formed each of a fingle valve, and opening longitudinally inwards: the feeds are numerous, oval, fmooth, beautiful, and coloured. The number of the germina, though naturally two, varies greatly; in fome flowers there are five. p lE 0 N I A, 1tbt ~tonp. The root is compofed of a number of oblong tuberofities. The plant rifes to three feet high. The ftalks are round, reddi{h in many places, ramofe, and robuft. The leaves are compofed of feveral fmaller ones, and are of a bluiih-green colour on the upper furface, and hoary underneath. The flowers fl:and fingly on the tops of the branches; they are as large as rofes, and of a beautiful crimfon colour. This is the natural ftate of the Piony; culture gives it double flowers, and alters their colour into that of all the degrees between a deep blood colour and white. The leaves of the plant alfo become broader or narrower, from the fame means; the fpecies, however, is the f..1me in all. Authors have called the varieties by names, as if diftinet fpe- 6 G cies ~ |
