The Botanical Magazine.

by William Curtis.

VOL. I

PREFACE.

The present periodical publication owes its commencement to the repeated solicitations of several Ladies and Gentlemen, Subscribers to the Author's BOTANIC GARDEN, who were frequently lamenting the want of a work, which might enable them, not only to acquire a systematic knowledge of the Foreign Plants growing in their gardens, but which might at the same time afford them the best information respecting their culture--in fact, a work, in which Botany and Gardening (so far as relates to the culture of ornamental Plants) or the labours of LINNaeUS and MILLER, might happily be combined.

In compliance with their wishes, he has endeavoured to present them with the united information of both authors, and to ill.u.s.trate each by a set of new figures, drawn always from the living plant, and coloured as near to nature, as the imperfection of colouring will admit.

He does not mean, however, to confine himself solely to the Plants contained in the highly esteemed works of those luminaries of Botany and Gardening, but shall occasionally introduce new ones, as they may flower in his own garden, or those of the curious in any part of Great-Britain.

At the commencement of this publication, he had no design of entering on the province of the Florist, by giving figures of double or improved Flowers, which sometimes owe their origin to culture, more frequently to the sportings of nature; but the earnest entreaties of many of his Subscribers, have induced him so far to deviate from his original intention, as to promise them one, at least, of the Flowers most esteemed by Florists.

The encouragement given to this work, great beyond the Author's warmest expectations, demands his most grateful acknowledgements, and will excite him to persevere in his humble endeavours to render Botany a lasting source of rational amus.e.m.e.nt; and public utility.

BOTANIC GARDEN, Lambeth-Marsh, 1787.

[1]

~Iris Persica. Persian Iris.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Triandria Monogynia.~

_Generic Character._

Corolla 6-part.i.ta: Petalis alternis, reflexis. Stigmata petaliformia.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

IRIS _Persica_ corolla imberbi, petalis interioribus brevissimis patentissimis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p._ 79. _Sp. Pl. p._ 59.

IRIS bulbosa praec.o.x minus odora Persica variegata. _Moris. hist._ 2.

_p._ 357.

XIPHIUM Persic.u.m. _Miller Dict. ed._ 6. 4_to._

The Persian bulbous Flower-de-luce. _Parkins. Parad. p._ 172.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 1]

A native of Persia. Flowers in February and March. Its beauty, early appearance, and fragrant blossoms, make it highly esteemed by all lovers of flowers; like the Hyacinth or Narcissus it will blow within doors in a water-gla.s.s, but stronger in a small pot of sand, or sandy loam; a few flowers will scent a whole apartment: it will also blossom in the open air, but requires warmth and shelter; it is propagated by offsets and seeds; the best flowering roots are imported from Holland, they bear forcing well; and hence this plant may be had to flower a full month or six weeks in succession.

PARKINSON remarks, that in his time (1629) it was very rare, and seldom bore flowers.

[2]

~Rudbeckia purpurea. Purple Rudbeckia.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Syngenesia Polygamia Frustranea.~

_Generic Character._

Receptaculum paleaceum, conic.u.m. Pappus margine quadri-dentato. Calyx duplici ordine squamarum.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

RUDBECKIA _purpurea_ foliis lanceolato-ovatis alternis indivisis, radii petalis bifidis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p._ 651. _Sp. Pl. p._ 1280.

DRACUNCULUS virginia.n.u.s latifolius, petalis florum longissimis purpurascentibus. _Moris. Hist._ 3. _p._ 42. _f._ 6. _t._ 9. _f._ 1.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 2]

This species differs from the other plants of the genus, in the colour of its outermost petals, which are long, narrow, purple, and pendulous, and not unaptly resemble small pieces of red tape. Notwithstanding it is a native of the warm climates Carolina and Virginia, it succeeds very well with us in an open border: but, as Mr. MILLER very justly observes, it will always be prudent to shelter two or three plants under a common hot-bed frame in winter, to preserve the kind, because in very severe winters, those in the open air are sometimes killed. It flowers in July. As it rarely ripens its seeds with us, the only mode of propagating it, is by parting the roots; but in that way the plant does not admit of much increase.

[3]

~h.e.l.leborus hyemalis. Winter h.e.l.lebore, or Aconite.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Polyandria Polygynia[A].~

_Generic Character._

Calyx 0. Petala 5 sive plura. Nectaria bil.a.b.i.ata, tubulata. Capsulae polyspermae erectiusculae.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

h.e.l.lEBORUS _hyemalis_ flore folio infidente. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p._ 431. _Sp. Pl. p._ 783.

ACONITUM unifolium bulbosum. _Bauh. Pin._ 183.