active 1799-1828 Henry Cranke Andrews

“ This fine species of Magnolia is a native of China and Japan, was introduced to us by the late Mr. Slater of Laytonstone, to whom we are so much indebted for the greatest number of beautiful plants which have been imported from thence by any individual. It is a very free growing plant; will resist the severity of our winters, if planted in a warm situation, and is deciduous; but if kept in the conservatory, it retains its leaves the whole year, and flowers about June. It is propagated with ease by laying, or by cuttings, and thrives in peat earth, with a small mixture of loam. ”

“ Kensington Gore, where, from particular management of Mr. Anderson, the same root has flowered several times; a circumstance that but rarely happens with these bulbs after the first year from importation. As a native of so hot a clime it must be kept in the bark bed of the hot-house; and, when the plant is not in flower, should be watered but sparingly. We as yet are unacquainted with any mode by which it may be propagated. It flourishes most in rich mould. Our figure represents the plant in a small specimen, as the head of flowers is frequently, in this country, of three times the size. ”

“ Our drawing was taken from a plant in the collection of J. Vere, Esq. Kensington Gore, in the month of October, 1803. It has all the merits of the most easily cultivated species of the genus; increasing freely by the bulb, growing with luxuriance in almost any earth, and requiring but little heat to make it flower. ”

“ Whether the fruit of this plant will ever turn to account, when cultivated, as an article of food, time must evince; but, certainly, it bears an appearance of much hope. It is a strong woody growing shrub, forming itself into a handsome round-headed plant; and, when in full flower, has a very pretty appearance, having all the necessary qualities of such plants as are fit for planting out in a conservatory. It is propagated by cuttings; should be planted in sandy peat earth, mixed with a small portion of loam ”

“ It is perfectly dioicous; the male and female blossoms, never coming on the same plant, and either have little to recommend them for beauty; their singularity is what should sooner attract our notice. The two figures, on the plate, which are the male and female, were taken from two plants, in flower, at the same time, in the collection of the Dowager Lady de Clifford, Paddington. All the species, hitherto discovered, since the first, upon which the genus was formed, the C. equisetifolia has, like this, the male and female parts of fructification on different plants ”

“ This beautiful divided leaved Protea has been named, as above, by Thunberg, in his Dissertatio de Protea, n. 7, and in his Prodromus plantarum capensium 25. It is rather a delicate plant, and subject to lose the lower leaves from the stem, which takes something from the beauty of its habit. The young leaves, when they first appear, have a downy character, which disappears as they grow firm. The stem has likewise, in its young state, a tendency to downiness, which is not discovered on the old wood ”

“ It is a native of the East Indies, and, in general, good seed may be procured by keeping the plants constantly in a hot-bed or hot-house; but the best method is to raise them on a strong hot-bed, keeping them there till in flower, and then transferring them to the hot-house or dry-stove, to perfect their seeds. ”

“ It propagates by offsets, and is kept with little trouble; as it will flourish in almost any soil, and will flower, if set in any part of the hot-house, so as not to interrupt its growth, the blossoms being produced only from the summit. Although with us the stem is permanent, as with some others of the same natural habit, yet it cannot, we think, with propriety be considered as either a tree or shrub, but rather herbaceous. Some contention, at first, arose whether this plant should be referred to the present Genus ”

“ Pistillum. Germen lineare, compressum, longum. Stylus filiformis, brevior, ad angulum erectum adscendens. Stigma obtusum, sub apice transverse barbatum.
Pericarpium. Legumen longum, coriaceum, uniloculare, bivalve, acumine terminatum.
Semina plura, subrotunda.
Empalement. Cup one-leaf, tubular, upright, half five-cleft sharp; the upper teeth the shortest, approaching; all the teeth of equal breadth.
Blossom butterfly-shaped. ”

“ Corolla monopetala, campanulata, versus basin arctata, quinquefida; laciniis concavis, trilobis, ciliatis; squamulæ quinque lanatæ, ad basin sinus tubi, conniventes.
Nectarium, corpus carnosum, quinquangulare, decem sulcatum, germen cingens.
Stamina. Filamenta quinque, squamulis corollæ orta, declinata. Antheræ incumbentes. ”

“ Is increased either by seeds, or by parting the roots; delights in a moderately stiff soil; flowering from July till November. If kept in a pot, the flowers, which are very fragrant, will continue in succession through the whole winter. ”

“ It is encreased by cuttings, taken off in the month of May, planted in a pot, filled to the margin with sandy loam, and plunged under a hand-glass, in a shady border, without watering the loam. It grows most flourishing in a mixture of sandy peat and loam ”

“ Arctotis flosculis radiantibus sterilibus; paleis disco longioribus coloratis; foliis bipinnatis, linearibus.
Arctotis with the florets of the circumference sterile; chaffs coloured and longer than the florets of the center; leaves doubly winged; linear. ”

“ Stamina erecta. Capsula subovata, trialata. Semina globosa.
Blossom 6-divided, beneath; the three inner petals the longest. Chives erect. Capsule nearly egg-shaped, three-winged. Seeds globular.
See Lachenalia pendula, Pl. XLI. Vol. I.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Lachenalia foliis binis, lanceolato-linearibus, obtusis; petalis interioribus longioribus; scapo lævi filiforme; corollis roseis.
Lachenalia with two leaves between, lance and linear-shaped, obtuse; the inner petals the longest; flower-stem smooth and thread-shaped; blossoms rose-coloured.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. ”

“ Stamina. Filamenta quinque, subulata, longitudine calycis. Antheræ basi bifidæ.
Pistilla. Germen ovatum, trigonum. Styli tres, filiformes, longitudine staminum. Stigmata obtusa.
Pericarpium. Capsula ovata, obsoletè trigona, tecta, trilocularis, trivalvis.
Semina numerosa, nitida, orbiculata, depressa, margine acuto cincta.
Empalement. Cup five-leaved; leaflets nearly egg-shaped, concave, spreading, equal, permanent, coloured within, with a thin edge.
Blossom none; hence the edge of the cup is thin and the inside of it is coloured.
Chives. Five-threads, awl-shaped, the length of the cup. ”