William Curtis

“ This plant has usually been confined to the stove, where it has been placed in a pot, and plunged into the tan, as the plants in such situations usually are; it has been found that when the roots have been confined to the narrow limits of a pot, the plant has rarely or never flowered, but that when the roots have by accident extended into the rotten tan, it has readily thrown up flowering stems, the best practice therefore, not only with this, but many other plants, is to let the roots have plenty of earth to strike into. ”

“ We have succeeded best by treating it in the manner above mentioned; we may observe, that the tan-pit spoken of was built in the open garden, not in a stove, and was for the purpose of raising plants or seeds by a gentle heat, as well as for striking cuttings and securing plants from cold in the winter.
Our figure will make a description of the plant unnecessary, its flowering stem with us has arisen to the height of a foot and a half, the number of flowers has not exceeded five. In its most luxuriant state it will probably be found much larger, and to produce more flowers. ”

“ The singular manner in which the leaves are attached to the flowering stem, deserves to be noticed.
As many of the succulent plants are tender, and require a Green-house in the winter, cultivators of plants are apt indiscriminately to extend the same kind of care to the whole [Pg 22] tribe, hence it is not uncommon to find this and many other similar hardy plants, nursed up in the Green-house or stove, when they would thrive much better on a wall or piece of rock-work, for the decoration of which this plant in particular is admirably adapted. ”

“ Miller informs us, that he received roots of this plant from Dr. Job Baster, F. R. S. of Zirkzee, who obtained it from the Cape, of which it is a native.
In the vegetable line, it is certainly one of the most singular and beautiful of nature's productions; much it is to be regretted that its flowers are of very short duration, opening in the morning and finally closing in the afternoon of the same day; a strong plant will, however, throw out many blossoms in succession. ”

“ The present, with many other species of Lupine, is very generally cultivated in flower gardens, for the sake of variety, being usually sown in the spring with other annuals; where the flower-borders are spacious, they may with propriety be admitted, but as they take up much room, and as their blossoms are of short duration, they are not so desirable as many other plants. ”

“ I have observed, that in the middle of summer, a hot unclouded sun, which is favourable to the expansion of most of the flowers of this class, is too powerful for those of the present plant, which then appear to the greatest advantage in warm hazy weather. ”

“ Most of the old Botanists arranged this plant, the racemosus, and others having almost globular flowers with the Hyacinths. Tournefort, struck with the difference of their appearance, made a distinct genus of them under the name of Muscari, in which he is followed by Miller, and should have been by Linnæus, for they differ so much that no student would consider the present plant as belonging to the same genus with the Hare-bell.
This species grows wild in the corn-fields of Spain, Portugal, and some parts of Germany, and flowers in May and June. ”

“ Grows spontaneously in Sicily and Crete; is an annual of humble growth, and hence a suitable plant for the borders of the flower garden, or the decoration of Rock-work, as its blossoms are shewy, and not of very short duration.
It flowers in June and July, and if once permitted to scatter its seeds, will come up yearly without any trouble. ”

“ The flowers of this plant, a native of Gibraltar, bear some resemblance to those of the Common Candy-Tuft, but when they blow in perfection, they are usually twice as large; hence they are highly ornamental in the green-house, which early in the Spring, the time of their coming forth, stands in need of some such shewy flowers.
This plant is easily raised from cuttings, and easily preserved; it may be kept through the Winter in a common hot-bed frame, and in mild Winters will stand abroad, especially if sheltered amongst rock-work ”

“ Our figure does not correspond altogether with Linnæus's description, but it is drawn as the plant grew; culture doubtless made it produce more than its usual number of flowering stems and petals.
It grows readily and increases rapidly in bog-earth, on a north border, and flowers in May and June, but very rarely ripens its fruit in Gardens. ”

“ Is a native of Spain and Portugal, prefers a dry soil and warm sheltered situation, and in very severe seasons requires some kind of covering.
Cultivated 1656, by Mr. John Tradescant, jun. Ait. Hort. Kew.
Is readily increased from cuttings; but Miller remarks, that the best plants are raised from seeds.
Varies with waved leaves, and in having petals without a spot at the base.
Is not the plant from whence the Ladanum of the shops is produced, though affording in warmer countries than ours a similar gum, hence its name of ladanifera is not strictly proper. ”

“ If the seeds are good, the plants will appear in [Pg 53] about six weeks; these plants make little progress for four or five years. If the nights should prove cold the glasses must be covered with mats every evening. As these plants grow slowly, so they will not require to be removed out of the seed-pots the first year, but in the Autumn the pots should be removed into the stove, and plunged into the tan-bed; in spring the plants should be carefully taken up, and each planted in a separate small pot, filled with light sandy earth, and plunged into a fresh hot-bed of Tanner's-bark. ”

“ The Hyacinthus racemosus grows wild in the corn fields of Germany, in which it increases so fast by offsets from the root as to prove a very troublesome weed, and on this account it must be cautiously introduced into gardens. ”

“ If the seeds of these sorts are sown in the spring, upon a warm border where the plants are designed to remain, they will require no other culture but to keep them clear from weeds, and place some tall stakes down by them, for their stalks to twine about, otherwise they will spread on the ground and make a bad appearance. These plants, if they are properly supported, will rise ten or twelve feet high in warm Summers: they flower in June, July, and August, and will continue till the frost kills them. Their seeds ripen in Autumn." Miller's Gard. ”

“ Is according to Linnæus a native of Majorca; Miller says that it grows naturally in the Island of Minorca, from whence the seeds were sent to England by Mr. Salvador, an Apothecary at Barcelona, in the year 1718.
The stalks of this species are usually of a bright red colour, and covered with little warts; the leaves are small with many depressions on their upper sides like scars; the flowers are not always solitary, but frequently form a kind of Corymbus.
It is a hardy green-house plant, and readily propagated by cuttings. ”

“ Though not remarkable for the fineness of its colours, or pleasing from its fragrance, it contributes with other bulbous plants to decorate the flower border or plantation in the spring, when flowers are most wanted.
It is very hardy, and increases abundantly by offsets; its seeds also ripen well. ”

“ LEAVES numerous, standing upright on their footstalks, about a foot in length, and four inches in breadth, ovato-oblong, coriaceous, somewhat fleshy, rigid, smooth, concave, entire on the edges, except on one side towards the base, where they are more or less curled, on the upper side of a deep green colour, on the under side covered with a fine glaucous meal, midrib hollow above and yellowish, veins unbranched, prominent on the inside, and impressed on the outside of the leaf, young leaves rolled up. ”

“ In order that we may give our readers an opportunity of seeing a coloured representation of one of the most scarce and magnificent plants introduced into this country, we have this number deviated from our usual plan, with respect to the plates, and though in so doing we shall have the pleasure of gratifying the warm wishes of many of our readers, we are not without our apprehensions least others may not feel perfectly well satisfied ”

“ It is certainly a beautiful hardy perennial, similar to (but of more humble growth) than the everlasting pea, yet must be cautiously introduced on account of its creeping roots, by which it is most readily propagated, rarely ripening its seeds with us. ”

“ These plants will not thrive through the winter in the full ground in England, so must be planted in pots, and placed under a frame in winter, where they may be protected from frost, but in mild weather should enjoy the free air; but they must be guarded from mice, who are very fond of these roots, and if not prevented will devour them. ”

“ It obviously differs from the other more tender plants of this genus, in the colour of its flowers, which are of a fine scarlet, with large white somewhat rhomboidal spots, on several of the lowermost divisions of the Corolla; strong plants will throw up a stem three or four feet high.
It is most probably a native of the Cape, flowers with us in July and August, and is increased by offsets from the bulbs; must be treated like the Ixias and other similar Cape plants. ”

“ It may be considered as forming a valuable addition to our stock of annuals, being a beautiful plant, and easily cultivated: it thrives best on a moderately dry soil, warmly situated: should be sown in the spring with other annuals. ”

“ This plant receives its generic name from Claudius Alstrœmer (son of Sir Jonas Alstrœmer, a most respectable Swedish Merchant) who first found the other most beautiful species the Pelegrina in Spain, whither it had been transmitted from Peru; its trivial name Ligtu is a provincial one.
According to Fewillee, who has written on the plants of Peru, this species is found on the banks of the rivers in Chili: we treat it, and successfully, as a stove plant; its flowers, which usually make their appearance in February and March, emit a fragrance scarcely inferior to Mignonet ”

“ FLOWERS of a bright orange colour, becoming upright, when perfectly detached from the spatha, which each flower is a considerable time in accomplishing. In the plant at Chelsea, the two back petals, or, more properly segments of the first flower, sprang forth with the nectary, and while the former became immediately vertical, the latter formed nearly the same angle as the spatha ”

“ In Summer when the weather is warm, they should have a good share of air admitted to them, but in Autumn must be removed into the stove; where they should constantly remain, and must be treated afterwards in the same manner as other tender exotic plants." Miller's Dict.
It is more usual with Nurserymen to increase this plant by cuttings. ”

“ It flowers very early in the spring, from February to May, and is usually propagated by offsets, which its bulbs produce in tolerable plenty. It requires a treatment similar to the Ixias and other Cape bulbs. Our figure was drawn from a plant which flowered this spring, in the possession of R. Forster, Esq. of Turnham-Green. [Pg 80]
INDEX.
In which the Latin Names of the Plants contained in the Third Volume are alphabetically arranged. ”

“ Corolla hypocrateriformis, 5-fida, interjectis dentibus: fauce clausa fornicibus.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
HELIOTROPIUM peruvianum foliis lanceolato-ovatis, caule fruticoso, spicis numerosis aggregato-corymbosis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p. 184.
HELIOTROPIUM foliis ovato-lanceolatis, spicis plurimis; confertis, caule fruticoso. Mill. Dict. ed. 6. 4to. Icon. t. 143. ”