flowers

The Ipom

The plant here represented appears to have been first described and figured by Burman, in his Pl. Afric. under the name of Passerina Linn?us introduced it in the 3d edition of his Sp. Pl. by the title of Passerina dodecandra, discovering afterwards that it had in reality only four stamina, and that the other eight substances, mistaken for such, were so many glandular nectaria, he made in his Mantiss. Plant. a new genus of it, by the name of Struthiola, and assigned it the trivial name of erecta, in the abbreviated generic description given of it by Prof. Murray, an alteration is made in this generic character, and what before was considered as Corolla, is here regarded as Calyx, no reason is assigned for this alteration, and we are at a loss to account for the propriety of it.Mr. Miller, who cultivated this plant in 1758, describes it in his dictionary, and observes very justly, that though its branches when young are erect, when loaded with blossoms they incline to a horizontal position, hence the term erecta becomes an improper one, and should be changed for one more expressive.This species of Struthiola is a very common shrub in our greenhouses, will grow to the height of five or six feet, and, though not so ornamental as some other plants, has the merit of flowering during most of the year, and often in the depth of winter.Is readily increased by cuttings.

The rich and elegant blossoms of this Chinese or Japanese beauty, possess a flatness and stiffness, which gives them an artificial air, to which their colour, which is exactly that of common red lead, may perhaps somewhat contribute, they make their appearance towards the close of the summer, and as many (when the plant is in health and vigour) are produced on the same stem, they continue a considerable time in bloom, its root is perennial, and its stem, which rises to the height of about two feet, herbaceous.We remember to have seen this plant in the collection of the late Dr. Fothergill at Upton, about the year 1774, by whom it was first introduced to this country K?mpfer, the celebrated Dutch traveller, who saw it growing in Japan, gives a very short description of it in his Am?nitates exotic?, and mentions a variety of it with white flowers Professor Thunberg, who saw it also in its wild state, as well as in the gardens of that country, confines himself to describing the plant more at large Professor Jacquin, in his Icones, has given an admirable figure of it.Persons here differ in their mode of cultivating this species of Lychnis, some treating it as a stove others as a greenhouse and others as a hardy herbaceous plant, the latter mode is to be preferred, provided care be taken to plant it in a sheltered situation, and to guard it against the inclemency of particular seasons, it is propagated by parting its roots, also by slips, and cuttings, but in this business more than ordinary care is required to be successful.

Mr. Miller, who cultivated this plant in 1731, informs us, that it grows wild about Lisbon, where it covers extensive tracts of ground, in the same manner as the heath does in this country, it seldom rises above the height of three feet, and is much disposed to become bushy, its flowers, which are slightly odoriferous, begin to appear in autumn, and continue during the winter and spring, they grow in little heads on the summits of the branches their whiteness, contrasted with the dark colour of the foliage, forms a pleasing appearance, and entitles this plant, though a common and long established inhabitant of the greenhouse, to a place with such as may boast more brilliancy of colour.Its leaves, which thickly cover the stalks, do not well accord with Linn?uss specific description.It is usually propagated by cuttings, which strike readily.

The Lobelia surinamensis, a plant newly introduced here, is minutely described in the Suppl. Pl. of the younger Linn?us, under the name of l?vigata, apparently from the smoothness of its flowers in the year 1786, Mr. Alexander Anderson sent this plant to the Royal Garden at Kew, from the West Indies, where it grows spontaneously, as well as at Surinam, and Mr. Aiton has inserted it at the end of the Hort. Kew. assigning to it a new specific description, and a new trivial name our drawing was made from a plant which flowered in the stove of Messrs. Grimwood and Co. Kensington, to whom it was imparted by Richard Molesworth, Esq. of Peckham, a gentleman liberal in his communications, and anxious to promote the cause of Botany.This species of Lobelia is a stove plant, having a some *what shrubby stalk, growing to the height of several feet, its blossoms are very large, of a pale red colour, and its Anther?, which might be mistaken for the stigma, unusually hairy.It begins to flower in January and February, and continues to blossom during most of the summer.Is increased by cuttings.

An early blowing plant, if it has no great pretensions to beauty, brings with it a powerful recommendation, more especially if its flowers are not of the more common hue, such are the claims which the present plant has to a place in this work it is perennial, hardy, herbaceous, of low growth, rarely exceeding a foot in height, producing its white blossoms in April and May its size renders it a suitable plant for the border of a small garden, or for the covering of rock work.It is readily increased by parting its roots in autumn.Grows spontaneously on the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, and Lapland, and was cultivated (vid. Hort. Kew) in the Botanic Garden at Oxford, in 1658.

The Helianthus multiflorus, a native of North America, is a hardy perennial herbaceous plant, arising usually to the height of five or six feet, and producing a great number of large yellow shewy blossoms, which renders it a suitable plant to ornament the shrubbery or garden of large extent, the variety with double flowers is the one most commonly cultivated, and this we find in almost every garden it flowers from July to September, and is propagated by parting its roots in autumn.This is a hardy plant, of ready growth, will bear the smoke of London better than many others, if it continues in the same spot for a great number of years, the blossoms are apt to become single.The single sort, according to Morison, was introduced before 1699 by Lord Lemster. Ait. Kew.

The daisy, a plant common to Europe, in its wild state delights in open situations, which are moderately moist, its root is perennial, and increases greatly, the usual colour of its flowers is white, the florets are sometimes tipt with red, but more frequently red on the under side.When double, the daisy becomes much more ornamental, and in this state many varieties of it have long been cultivated, very generally in gardens, those principally found in our nurseries areThe large double daisy with florets of a deep red colour on the under side, figured on the plate, the flowers of this sort will sometimes expand nearly to the size of a half crown piece, and are the most shewy of any that we have seen, the foliage of this sort is also proportionably larger.The pale red double daisy, more delicate in its appearance, but smaller, varying in its shades of colour.The pure white double daisy.The deep red double daisy, in this the petals are usually tubular or quilled.

Besides these, there are The coxcomb double daisy, both red and white, in which the flowering stem rises up preternaturally flattened, and carries on its summit a long extended ridge of flowers, frequently of an enormous size, this monstrous production seems to arise from the coalescence of two or more flowering stems and as it is of accidental origin, so we find that a daisy which has been a coxcomb one year, shall lose that appearance entirely the next, and out of a long edging of daisies growing luxuriantly, new ones shall here and there arise, we cannot therefore depend upon the constancy of this variety.Another singular variety is the proliferous or hen and chicken daisy, in which a number of flowers standing on short footstalks spring circularly out of the main flower, as this appearance for the most part arises from great luxuriance[A], this sort of daisy is also found occasionally to lose its prolific character in my garden at Lambeth Marsh, I once had a daisy growing in an edging among a number of others, which not only became proliferous, or of the hen and chicken kind, but its stalk also, or scapus, became branched, producing six or seven flowering stems, with flowers at their extremities of the size of the common daisy, thus we find that the most permanent characters of plants are liable to be altered, and even destroyed, by accident, or culture.

Daisies appear to most advantage planted as an edging to a border, not that they are superior, or even equal to box for the great purposes of an edging, but in the spring of the year they enliven the border more, and add much to the general gaiety of the garden in the formation of these, we shall give our readers some practical instructions, which will enable them to succeed much better than by following the mode commonly practised.The last week in September, or the first in October, take up your daisy roots, and divide them into single plants, your border being dug, put down your line, and make a shallow trench along it as for the planting of box, in this trench place your plants three inches apart, spreading out their fibres in the trench, and pressing the earth closely round them, in this way they will soon become rooted, and firmly fixed in the ground before the approach of frost, should this business be deferred later, as it frequently is, and the daisies be planted with a dibber in the usual way, in all probability the worms will draw out every plant before spring, especially if the earth has been rendered loose by repeated frosts.Edgings of this kind require to be replanted in the same way every autumn, as the plants, if they grow well, spread too wide, if the summer prove dry, many of the roots fail, and if they remain undisturbed in the same spot, they will degenerate and become single, notwithstanding Mr. Miller informs us, that he never observed them to do so.

The Primrose in its wild single state is frequently introduced into shrubberies and plantations, for the purpose of enlivening them in the spring months, in its double state it has been deemed peculiarly worthy of cultivation by the curious in flowers. Of the double yellow Primrose, which seems to have been the first known, we meet with a figure in the Hort. Eyst. and in the Parad. Terrestr. of Parkinson, since those publications many new and perfectly double varieties have been introduced, as The double white, rarely met with. The double deep red or velvet, the blossoms of this will sometimes come single.The double pink or lilac, here figured, a plant much admired.The double crimson, a new variety, which, in brilliancy of colour, far surpasses all the others.The red, commonly called the Scotch Primrose, less ornamental than any of the preceding besides these, we have observed a variety with blossoms of a dingy yellow inclining to red, not worth cultivating.These several varieties of Primrose are admirably adapted to the decoration of the shrubbery, plantations, or even the north side of rock work, they delight to grow in a stiff loam, a moist and somewhat shady situation, so planted they thrive admirably, the double succeeding almost as well as the single, every second or third year their roots should be divided, which may be done either in spring or autumn, they may be cultivated also in pots for the convenience of removing them when in blossom.

The Plumbago rosea, one of the most ornamental plants which we keep in our stoves, is a native of India, from whence it was introduced to this country by the late Dr. Fothergill, in the year 1777, posterior to the publication of the last edition of Mr. Millers Dictionary.It is a shrubby plant, which frequently grows to the height of four or five feet, and is perpetually putting forth flowering spikes, these continue a long while in blossom, and hence, with proper management, it may be had to flower during most of the year, a very desirable circumstance in a plant of such singular beauty.The usual mode of increasing it is by cuttings, which strike freely.Its parts of fructification, whether we regard their colour or structure, are highly deserving of notice.