The Botanical Magazine.

by William Curtis.

VOL. IV.

Observe the rising Lily's snowy grace, Observe the various vegetable race; They neither toil nor spin, but careless grow, Yet see how warm they blush! how bright they glow!

What regal vestments can with them compare!

What king so shining, or what queen so fair.

THOMSON.

LONDON:

Printed by COUCHMAN and FRY, Throgmorton-Street. For

W. CURTIS, No 3, _St. George's-Crescent_, Black-Friars-Road; And Sold by

the princ.i.p.al Booksellers in Great-Britain and Ireland.

M DCC XCI.

[109]

LAVATERA TRIMESTRIS. ANNUAL LAVATERA.

_Cla.s.s and Order_.

MONADELPHIA POLYANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

_Calyx_ duplex: exterior 3-fidus. _Arilli_ plurimi, monospermi.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

LAVATERA _trimestris_ caule scabro herbaceo, foliis glabris, pedunculis unifloris, fructibus...o...b..culo tectis. _Linn. Sp. Pl. 974._ _Hort.

Kew. v. 2. p. 452._

LAVATERA _(althaeaefolia)_ foliis infimis cordato-orbiculatis, caulinis trilobis ac.u.minatis glabris, pedunculis unifloris, caule herbaceo.

_Miller's Gard. Dict. ed. 6. 4to._

MALVA folio vario. _Bauh. Pin. 315._

MALVA Hispanica flore carneo amplo.

The Spanish blush Mallow. _Park. Parad. p. 366._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 109]

Our plant is undoubtedly the _Spanish blush Mallow_ of PARKINSON, and the _Lavatera althaeaefolia_ of MILLER according to the former, it is a native of Spain, according to the latter, of Syria.

Mr. MILLER considers it as distinct from the _trimestris_; Mr.

AITON has no _althaeaefolia_ in his _Hort. Kew._ we are therefore to conclude that the _althaeaefolia_ of MILLER, and the _trimestris_ of LINNaeUS are one and the same species.

Of the annuals commonly raised in our gardens, this is one of the most shewy, as well as the most easily cultivated; its seeds are to be sown in March, on the borders where they are to remain, the plants, thinned as they come up, and kept clear of weeds.

It varies with white blossoms, and flowers from July to September.

[110]

MIMOSA VERTICILLATA. WHORL'D-LEAV'D MIMOSA.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

POLYGAMIA MONOECIA.

_Generic Character._

HERMAPHROD. _Cal._ 5-dentatus. _Cor._ 5-fida. _Stam._ 5. f. plura.

_Pist._ 1. _Legumen._

MASC. _Cal._ 5-dentatus. _Cor._ 5-fida. _Stam._ 5. 10. plura.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

MIMOSA _verticillata_ intermis, foliis verticillatis linearibus pungentibus. _L'Herit. fert. angl. t. 41._ _Hort. Kew. p. 438._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 110]

The radical leaves of plants usually differ in shape from those of the stalk, in some plants remarkably so; the _Lepidium perfoliatum_ figured in the _Flora Austriaca_ of Professor JACQUIN is a striking instance of this dissimilarity: the _Lathyrus Aphaca_, a British plant, figured in the _Flora Lond._ is still more such, as large entire leaf-like stipulae grow in pairs on the stalk, instead of leaves, while the true leaves next the root, visible when the plant first comes up from seed, are few in number, and those pinnated. The present plant no less admirably ill.u.s.trates the above remark, the leaves which first appear on the seedling plants being pinnated, as is represented in the small figure on the plate, while those which afterwards come forth grow in whorls. We have observed the same disposition to produce dissimilar leaves in several other species of _Mimosa_, which have arisen from Botany-Bay seeds, lately introduced.

This singular species, on the authority of Mr. DAVID NELSON, is a native of New South Wales, and was introduced to the royal garden at Kew by Sir JOSEPH BANKS, Bart.

We first saw it in flower, and have since seen it with ripe seed-pods, at Mr. MALCOLM's, Kennington.

It is properly a green-house plant, and propagated only by seeds, which are to be sown on a gentle hot-bed.

It is some years in arriving at its flowering state.