The Botanical Magazine.

by William Curtis.

VOL. V.

----"the garden yields A soft amus.e.m.e.nt, an humane delight.

To raise th' insipid nature of the ground, Or tame its savage genius to the grace Of careless sweet rusticity, that seems The amiable result of happy chance, Is to create, and give a G.o.d-like joy, Which ev'ry year improves."

ARMSTRONG.

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.

[145]

MONARDA FISTULOSA, _var._ CRIMSON MONARDA.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

DIANDRA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Corolla_ inaequalis: labio superiore lineari filamenta involvente.

_Semina_ 4.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

MONARDA _fistulosa_ capitulis terminalibus, caule obtusangulo. _Linn.

Syst. Vegetab. p. 68. ed. 14. Murr._ _Hort. Kew. v. 1. p. 36._

ORIGANUM fistulosum Canadense. _Corn. Canad. 13. t. 14._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 145]

The _Monarda fistulosa_, a hardy herbaceous plant, growing spontaneously in Canada, and other parts of North-America, has long been cultivated in the English gardens, to which it recommends itself as much by the fragrance of its foliage, as the beauty of its flowers; of this species the plant here figured is an uncommonly beautiful variety, its blossoms far surpa.s.sing those of the original in size, as well as brilliancy of colour, the floral leaves also are highly coloured; we have represented a single blossom of the common _Monarda fistulosa_, that the difference of the two may be rendered obvious.

This variety has been very lately introduced from Holland, by Messrs.

GRIMWOOD and Co. Kensington; it flowers from June to September, and is propagated by parting its roots in spring or autumn.

[146]

HYPERIc.u.m CALYCINUM. LARGE-FLOWER'D ST. JOHN'S-WORT.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

POLYADELPHIA POLYANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

_Calyx_ 5-part.i.tus. _Petala_ 5. _Filamenta_ multa, in 5 phalanges basi connata. _Capsula._

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

HYPERIc.u.m _calycinum_ floribus pentagynis solitariis terminalibus, caule tetragono fruticoso, foliis oblongo-ovatis coriaceis. _Linn. Syst.

Vegetab. p. 700. Mant. 106._ _Hort. Kew. v. 3. 103._

ASCYRUM magno flore. _Bauh. Pin. 280. Prodr. 130._

ANDROSaeMUM Constantinopolitanum flore maximo. _Wheler's Journey into Greece, p. 205. c.u.m fig._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No 146]

This species of St. John's-Wort, particularly distinguished by the largeness of its flowers, has very generally been considered as the _Ascyron_ of LINNaeUS, owing to his giving to that plant the synonyms which properly belong to the present one: in his _Mantissa_, this species is called _calycinum_, which name is adopted in the 14th edition of the _Systema Vegetabilium_, and also in the _Hortus Kewensis_, where the proper synonyms are applied to it, and from which we learn, that it is a native of the country near Constantinople, and was introduced into this country by Sir GEORGE WHELER, Bart. in 1676.

It is a hardy perennial, increasing much by its roots, which are of the creeping kind, and by parting of which in the autumn it is most readily propagated; like the periwinkle, it is a plant well adapted to cover a bank, or bare, spots under trees, where other plants will not thrive.

It flowers from July to September.

[147]

DAIS COTINIFOLIA. COTINUS-LEAV'D DAIS.

_Cla.s.s and Order._

DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._