flowers

That this singular species of Statice was long since an inhabitant of our gardens, appears from Parkinson, who in his Garden of Pleasant Flowers, gives an accurate description of it, accompanied with an expressive figure, since his time it appears to have been confined to few gardens the nurserymen have lately considered it as a newly introduced species, and sold it accordingly.
It is one of those few plants whose calyx is of a more beautiful colour than the corolla (and which it does not lose in drying), it therefore affords an excellent example of the calyx coloratus, as also of scariosus, it being sonorous to the touch.
Being a native of Sicily, Palestine, and Africa, it is of course liable to be killed with us in severe seasons, the common practice is therefore to treat it as a green house plant, and indeed it appears to the greatest advantage in a pot, it is much disposed to throw up new flowering stems, hence, by having several pots of it, some plants will be in blossom throughout the summer, the dried flowers are a pretty ornament for the mantle piece in winter.
Though a kind of biennial, it is often increased by parting its roots, but more advantageously by seed, the latter, however, are but sparingly produced with us, probably for the want, as Parkinson expresses it, of sufficient heate of the Sunne.

It is not a little extraordinary that this plant which has for many years been cultivated in this country, should have escaped the notice of Linnaeus, it is equally wonderful that we should at this moment be strangers to its place of growth.
Having three leaves growing together, it has been considered by many as the trifoliatus of Linnaeus but his trifoliatus is a very different plant, a native of Canada, producing small yellow flowers.
It has been usual to treat this species as a green house plant, or at least to shelter it under a frame in the winter, probably it is more hardy than we imagine.
It is propagated by parting its roots in autumn, and by seeds, though few of the latter in general ripen, nor do the roots make much increase—,to these causes we must doubtless attribute its present comparative scarcity.
It flowers as early as February, on which account, as well as that of its singularity, it is a very desirable plant in collections.

The genus of which this charming plant is the most distinguished species, has been named in honour of Lady Anne Monson. The whole family are natives of the Cape, and in their habit and fructification bear great affinity to the Geranium. The present species was introduced into this country in 1774, by Mr. Masson.We received this elegant plant just as it was coming into flower, from Mr. Colvill, Nurseryman, Kings Road, Chelsea, who was so obliging as to inform me that he had succeeded best in propagating it by planting cuttings of the root in pots of mould, and plunging them in a tan pit, watering them as occasion may require, in due time buds appear on the tops of the cuttings left out of the ground.It rarely or never ripens its seed with us.Should be treated as a hardy greenhouse plant, may be sheltered even under a frame, in the winter.

Receives its name of triste from the sombre appearance of its flowers, but this must be understood when placed at some little distance, for, on a near view, the principal colour of the blossoms is a fine rich brown, inclined to purple.Is a native of Spain, and of course a greenhouse plant with us, but it must not be too tenderly treated, as it loses much of its beauty when drawn up, it should therefore be kept out of doors when the season will admit, as it only requires shelter from severe frost, and that a common hot bed frame will in general sufficiently afford it.It flowers during most of the summer months, as it rarely or never ripens its seeds with us, the usual mode of propagating it, is by cuttings, which strike readily enough in the common way.Miller relates that it was first introduced into this country by Sir Charles Wager, from Gibraltar seeds.

Culture is well known to produce great alterations in the appearance of most plants, but particularly in those which grow spontaneously on dry mountainous situations, and this is strikingly exemplified in the present instance, this species of Potentilla, becoming in every respect much larger, as well as much smoother than in its natural state. Vid. Vaill. above quoted.It is a hardy herbaceous plant, a native of Switzerland, Siberia, and other parts of Europe, and flowers in July.Linnaeus considers it as an annual, Miller, as a biennial, we suspect it to be, indeed have little doubt of its being a perennial, having propagated it by parting its roots, but it may be raised more successfully from seed.

Though the Epilobium here figured has not been many years introduced into this country, it is a plant which has long been well known, and described.Linnaeus makes it a variety only of the Epilobium angustifolium, Haller, a distinct species, and in our opinion, most justly.Those who have cultivated the Epilobium angustifolium have cause to know that it increases prodigiously by its creeping roots. The present plant, so far as we have been able to determine from cultivating it several years, in our Garden, Lambeth Marsh, has not shewn the least disposition to increase in the same way, nor have any seedlings arisen from the seeds which it has spontaneously scattered we have, indeed, found it a plant rather difficult to propagate, yet it is highly probable that at a greater distance from London, and in a more favourable soil, its roots, though not of the creeping kind, may admit of a greater increase, and its seeds be more prolific.It is a native of the Alps of Switzerland, from whence it is frequently dislodged, and carried into the plains by the impetuosity of torrents.It flowers with us in July and August, and being a hardy perennial, and perhaps the most elegant species of the genus, appears to us highly deserving a place in the gardens of the curious.

It has been suggested by some of our readers, that too many common plants, like the present, are figured in this work. We wish it to be understood, that the professed design of the Botanical Magazine is to exhibit representations of such. We are desirous of putting it in the power of all who cultivate or amuse themselves with plants, to become scientifically acquainted with them, as far as our labours extend, and we deem it of more consequence, that they should be able to ascertain such as are to be found in every garden, than such as they may never have an opportunity of seeing. On viewing the representations of objects of this sort, a desire of seeing the original is naturally excited, and the pleasure is greatly enhanced by having it in our power to possess it. But, while we are desirous of thus creating Botanists, we are no less anxious to gratify the wishes of those already such, and we believe, from a perusal of the Magazine, it will appear that one third of the plants figured, have some pretensions to novelty.The Centaurea montana is a native of the German Alps, flowers during the greatest part of the summer, is a hardy perennial, and will grow in any soil or situation, some will think too readily.

We shall be thought, perhaps, too partial to this tribe of plants, this being the fifth species now figured, but it should be remembered, that as the spring does not afford that variety of flowers which the summer does, we are more limited in our choice, the flowers of this delightful season have also greater claims to our notice, they present themselves with double charms.This species, which, as its name implies, possesses more fragrance than many of the others, is a native of the South of Europe, flowers in the open border in April, is a hardy perennial, thriving in almost any soil or situation, but succeeds best in a loamy soil and eastern exposure. Varies with double flowers, in which slate it is often used for forcing.No notice is taken of this species by Miller, except as a variety of the N. Jonquilla, from which it differs toto calo.

This species of Lotus has been called black flowerd, not that the flowers are absolutely black, for they are of a very rich brown inclined to purple, but because they appear so at a little distance, the light colour of the foliage contributes not a little to this appearance.It grows naturally in the Island of St. James, is too tender to live abroad in England, so the plants must be kept in pots, and in the winter placed in a warm airy glass cafe, but in the summer they should be placed abroad in a sheltered situation. It may be easily propagated by cuttings during the summer season, and also by seeds, but the plants which have been two or three times propagated by cuttings, seldom are fruitful. Millers Gard. Dict.It continues to flower during the whole of the summer, as it is very apt to die off without any apparent cause, care should be taken to have a succession of plants from seeds, if possible.

This plant, not less celebrated for its superior efficacy in destroying worms, than admired for its beauty, is a native of the warmer parts of North America, the older Botanists, and even Linnaeus, at one time considered it as a honeysuckle, but he has now made a new genus of it, which he has named in honour of Spigelius, a Botanist of considerable note, author of the Ifagog. in yem herbar. published at Leyden in 1633.This plant is not easily propagated in England, for the roots make but slow increase, so that the plant is not very common in the English Gardens at present, for although it is so hardy as to endure the cold of our ordinary winters in the open air, yet as it does not ripen seeds, the only way of propagating it is by parting of the roots, and as these do not make much increase by offsets, so the plants are scarce, it delights in a moist soil, and must not be often transplanted. Millers Dict.The scarcity of this plant, even now, is a proof of the justness of Mr. Millers observation, it is in fact a very shy plant, and scarcely to be kept in this country but by frequent importation.It flowers in June and July.