William Curtis

“ An early-blowing plant, if it has no great pretensions to beauty, brings with it a powerful recommendation, more especially if its flowers are not of the more common hue; such are the claims which the present plant has to a place in this work: it is perennial, hardy, herbaceous, of low growth, rarely exceeding a foot in height, producing its white blossoms in April and May: its size renders it a suitable plant for the border of a small garden, or for the covering of rock-work.
It is readily increased by parting its roots in autumn. ”

“ In our eagerness to lay before the public this striking novelty, we may possibly omit some circumstances relative to its history and treatment, which future experience may develope, they will not, however, we trust be very material; the plants which we have had an opportunity of seeing have scarcely exceeded a foot in height, growing up with a shrubby stem, and expanding widely into numerous flowering branches, unusually disposed to produce flowers in a constant succession, so that during most of the summer the plant is loaded with a profusion of bloom ”

“ The coxcomb double daisy, both red and white, in which the flowering stem rises up preternaturally flattened, and carries on its summit a long-extended ridge of flowers, frequently of an enormous size; this monstrous production seems to arise from the coalescence of two or more flowering stems: and as it is of accidental origin, so we find that a daisy which has been a coxcomb one year, shall lose that appearance entirely the next, and out of a long edging of daisies growing luxuriantly, new ones shall here and there arise ”

“ As a spring plant, it deserves a place in the garden; in point of ornament, it is applicable to the same purposes as the Primrose, will grow in almost any soil or situation, requires to be taken up in the autumn, and fresh-planted every two or three years; if suffered to remain in the same spot for a great length of time, it becomes smaller, produces few or no flowers, and is so altered in its appearance, as to look like another species. ”

“ The rich and elegant blossoms of this Chinese or Japanese beauty, possess a flatness and stiffness, which gives them an artificial air, to which their colour, which is exactly that of common red lead, may perhaps somewhat contribute; they make their appearance towards the close of the summer, and as many (when the plant is in health and vigour) are produced on the same stem, they continue a considerable time in bloom ”

“ The Cineraria Amelloides a plant common in every green-house, was introduced by Mr. Philip Miller as long since as the year 1753, being raised by him from Cape seeds; it forms a bushy shrub, of the height of two, or three feet, produces numerous blossoms, which stand singly on long footstalks, are of a pale blue colour; they make some amends for their want of brilliancy by flowering during most of the year.
The plant is easily propagated either by seeds or cuttings. ”

“ The daisy, a plant common to Europe, in its wild state delights in open situations, which are moderately moist, its root is perennial, and increases greatly; the usual colour of its flowers is white, the florets are sometimes tipt with red, but more frequently red on the under side. ”

“ It must be several years before the lovers of plants can be generally gratified with the possession of this plant, most of its branches running out speedily into flowering stalks, form few proper for cuttings, which are struck with difficulty, and perfect seeds are sparingly produced. ”

“ Linnæus, the son, in his Suppl. Plant. observes, that the Disandra varies extremely in the number of its stamina, as it does also in the divisions of its calyx, and corolla; in this respect;, indeed, we do not know its equal: fortunately for those systems of Botany, which are formed from the number of certain parts of the fructification, few such inconstants exist. ”

“ This species is a native of the island of Candia, and was cultivated here by Mr. Miller, in 1739; it is an annual, and as it does not perfect its seeds with us in the open air, unless in very favourable seasons, it is usually treated as a green-house plant, its seeds should be sown in the autumn, as it thereby flowers earlier, and ripe seeds are with more certainty obtained.
It blossoms from June to August. ”

“ Its blossoms are produced in June and July, the buds are covered with a white down, as is also the underside of the leaves, whence its name of tomentosa.
It has been customary to treat it as a stove plant, such it is considered in the Hort. Kew. there is great reason however to believe, that it is by no means tender, and that it may succeed as most of the Chinese plants do in a good greenhouse.
It is usually increased by cuttings which are struck difficulty. ”

“ It begins to flower in March and continues in bloom three weeks or a month, rarely produces any seed, so that it is to be propagated only by dividing its roots; it is a hardy herbaceous plant, a native of Germany, and will grow in almost any soil provided it be planted in a shady situation. ”

“ To have this beautiful tribe of plants in perfection, they must be kept in pots proportioned to their size, filled with that kind of bog earth in which our British heaths grow spontaneously, finely sifted ”

“ The golden Thistle of Peru, called in the West-Indies, Fique del inferno, a friend of mine brought it unto me from an iland there, called Saint Johns Iland, among other seedes, what reason the inhabitants there have to call it so it is unto me unknown, unless it be bicause of his fruite, which doth much resemble a figge in shape and bignesse, but so full of sharpe and venemous prickles, that whosoever had one of them in his throte, doubtless less it would send him packing either to heaven or to hell. ”

“ Cultivators complain, that it does not blow freely; without any peculiarity of treatment, it flowers with us every year, about the middle of June; it is one of the more hardy greenhouse plants, which is usually and readily increased by cuttings. ”

“ It flowers in July, is as yet a rare plant in this country, and likely to continue so, as it is not easily increased, multiplying but little by its roots, scarcely to be struck from cuttings, and rarely producing perfect seeds. ”

“ FUMARIA bulbosa radice cava major. Bauh. Pin. p. 143.
RADIX cava major. Park. Parad. p. 275.
No232.
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The hollow-rooted Fumitory differs from the solida, already figured, and that constantly, in a variety of particulars; its root is always, as far as we have observed, hollow, appearing sometimes, as Parkinson informs us, "like a shell, every part of which when broken will grow;" frequently acquiring a very great size; the plant itself usually grows to twice the height of the solida, bearing foliage and flowers proportionably large ”

“ Filamenta receptaculo inferta. Antheræ bifidæ. Caps. 4-locularis.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
ERICA cerinthoides antheris muticis inclusis, corollis clavatis grossis, stigmate incluso cruciato, foliis quaternis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 368. Ait. Kew. V. 2. p. 22. ”