Chapter 4

The flowers of most of the species of Jasmine are odoriferous, trivial names therefore expressive of this quality are ineligible, as wanting character; the present name is peculiarly objectionable, inasmuch as several other species are greatly superior to this in point of fragrance; a lesson for Botanists to abstain from trivial names of the superlative degree, such as _odoratissimum_, _foetidissimum_, _maximum_, _minimum_, &c.

The present species, according to Mr. AITON, is a native of Madeira, and was cultivated by Mr. MILLER, in 1730; it is now a plant common in most greenhouses: it will form a shrub of considerable size, which requires no support; its leaves are glossy, inclining to yellow, growing for the most part three together, sometimes pinnated; its blossoms, which are yellow, make their appearance from May to November: in point of hardiness it is superior to many greenhouse plants, and may be propagated without difficulty by cuttings.

[286]

PORTLANDIA GRANDIFLORA. GREAT-FLOWERED PORTLANDIA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cor._ clavato-infundibuliformis. _Antheræ_ 4-6. longitudinales. _Caps._ 5-gona, 2-valvis, retusa, 2-locularis, polysperma, coronata calyce 5-phyllo.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

PORTLANDIA _grandiflora_ floribus pentandris. _Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 213._ _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 228. foliis ovatis._ _Syst. Nat. ed. 13._ _Gmel. p. 360._

PORTLANDIA _grandiflora_ floribus pentandris, capsulis ovatis, foliis oblongis acuminatis. _Swartz. Obs. Bot. p. 69._

Dr. BROWN, in his Natural History of Jamaica, gives to this genus the name of _Portlandia_, in honour of the Duchess Dowager of PORTLAND, who employed many of the leisure hours of a long and happy life, in the pursuits of natural history, in which she was eminently skilled.--She was the friend and patron of Mr. LIGHTFOOT, who dedicates to her his _Flora Scotica_; the fine collection of rare and valuable trees and shrubs which enrich part of the grounds at Bulstrode, were of her planting.

Dr. SWARTZ, in his Observations on the Plants of the West-Indies, informs us, that this species grows wild in Jamaica, where (_incolit calcareosa petrosa_) it inhabits calcareous rocky places[3], forms a small tree about the height of six feet, and flowers from the middle of Summer to Autumn; its bark, he observes, as in other plants of the same genus, is extremely bitter.

From Mr. AITON we learn, that it was introduced here by ---- ELLIS, Esq. in 1775.

It forms a very beautiful stove plant, not of difficult growth, and readily disposed to flower; we have seen blowing plants of it little more than a foot high; its blossoms are not only uncommonly large, shewy, and curious in their structure, but fragrant also, and very much so when dried.

It is usually increased by cuttings.

[Footnote 3: We wish that every person who describes foreign plants on the spot, would do thus; it would greatly facilitate their culture.]

[287]

GOODENIA LÆVIGATA. SMOOTH GOODENIA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Flores_ monopetali, superi. _Caps._ bilocularis. _Cor._ supra longitudinaliter fissa, stigma urceolatum ciliatum. _Smith Trans. Linn. Soc. v. 2. p. 346._

_Specific Character._

GOODENIA lævigata foliis obovato-lanceolatis dentatis glabris.

In the Autumn of 1792, SAMUEL TOLFREY Esq. most kindly invited me to inspect a vast number of the natural productions of Botany-Bay, in his possession; collected with great assiduity, and brought over in high preservation by Captain TENCH; among other curiosities, he shewed me specimens of the earths of that country, imported in very small bags. I suggested to Mr. TOLFREY, that those earths might possibly contain the seeds of some curious and unknown plants; he readily acquiesced in the idea, and permitted me to make trial of them: accordingly, in the Spring of 1793, I exposed them in shallow pans, on a gentle tan heat, keeping them duly watered; in the course of the Summer they yielded me fourteen plants, most of which were altogether new, and among others the species of _Goodenia_ here figured; this we have since found to be a hardy greenhouse plant, flowering from July to October, and very readily increased by cuttings.

The oldest plant in our possession is about a foot and a half high, much branched, the stalks are round and smooth to the naked eye, green below, above purplish, the leaves are smooth, a deep bright green colour, alternate, standing on footstalks, which gradually widen into the leaves, somewhat ovate, and deeply toothed; the flowers grow in the alæ of the leaves, forming a thin spike, they are sessile, of a pale violet colour, and have a peculiar smell which is rather unpleasant; at the side of each flower are two long narrow Bracteæ; the Calyx, which is placed on the germen, is composed of five short ovate leaves, which appear edged with hairs if magnified; the Corolla is monopetalous, the lower part, which at first is tubular, splits longitudinally above, and forms a kind of half tube, the edges of which are brown, the inside yellow, the outside greenish, the mouth beset with short hairs, each of which is terminated by a small villous head; the limb is deeply divided into five linear segments, spreading out like a hand, and terminated by short points; the Filaments are five in number, of a whitish colour, somewhat broadest above, rather flat, inserted into the receptacle; Antheræ oval, flattened, yellow, bilocular, a little bent, the length of the pistillum; but this is to be understood of such flowers as are not yet fully expanded, in those that are, they are much shorter, and appear withered; the Style, in flowers about to open, the length of the filaments, upright, in those that are opened much longer, and bent somewhat downward; Stigma at first upright, in the form of a cup, having the edge curiously fringed with white hairs, afterwards it closes together, loses its hollow, and assumes a flat appearance, and nods somewhat, the back part of it is bearded; Germen beneath the calyx, oblong, usually abortive with us.

The name of _Goodenia_ has been given to this genus by Dr. SMITH, in honour of the Rev. SAMUEL GOODENOUGH, LL. D. of _Ealing_, my much-honoured friend, whose name will be ever dear to Botanists for his laborious investigation of the British Carices[4].

[Footnote 4: Vide a Dissertation on the British species of Carex, by Dr. GOODENOUGH, in the second volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society.]

[288]

PASSIFLORA CILIATA. FRINGED-LEAVED PASSION-FLOWER.

_Class and Order._

GYNANDRIA HEXANDRIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cal._ 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Stamina germini vicina. _Nectarium_ multi-radiatum. _Antrum_ pedicellatum duplicatum 1-loculare.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

PASSIFLORA _ciliata_ foliis trilobis glabris ciliato serratis intermedio longissimo, petiolis eglandulosis. _Ait. Kew. v. 3. p. 310._

This Passion-Flower is described in the _Hort. Kew._ as a new one, under the name of _ciliata_, introduced by Mrs. NORMAN, from the West-Indies, in 1783: we saw it during the latter part of the last Summer, with great profusion of flowers, in several collections, more particularly in that of Mr. VERE, Kensington-Gore, from whence our figure and description were taken.

Its stalks are round, perfectly smooth, and run to a very great height; leaves dark green, glossy, perfectly smooth, except on the edges, where they are beset with strong glandular hairs, divided into three large and two small lobes, the middle lobe running out to a considerable length, the footstalks of the leaves are beset with a few hairs thinly scattered, at the base of each leaf is a tendril, and two finely-divided stipulæ, edged also with glandular hairs. The Involucrum is composed of three leaves, dividing into capillary segments, each of which terminates in a viscid globule, fetid when bruised; betwixt the involucrum and the blossom is a short peduncle; the pillar which supports the germen is of a bright purple colour, with spots of a darker hue, the germen is smooth and green; Styles green; Stigmata of a dark green; Filaments six in number; Antheræ pale yellow green, the former dotted with purple; of Radii, there may be said to be four rows, variegated with white and purple, petals ten, externally greenish, internally red, deeper or paler according to circumstances.

The leaves of this plant vary greatly in form, according to the health and luxuriance of the plant; on comparing it with the _foetida_, we strongly suspect it to be a variety merely of that species: time will shew.

It is increased by cuttings, or seeds.

INDEX.

In which the Latin Names of the Plants contained in the _Eighth Volume_ are alphabetically arranged.

Pl.

280 Apocynum androsæmifolium.

276 Blitum virgatum.

274 Borbonia crenata.

264 Cistus formosus.

258 Coronilla varia.

271 Cyrtanthus angustifolius.

255 Cytisus sessilifolius.

273 Diosma uniflora.

261 Erodium incarnatum.

272 Gladiolus tristis.

263 Glycine bimaculata.

268 ------- rubicunda.

270 ------- coccinea.

287 Goodenia lævigata.

282 Hedysarum obscurum.

285 Jasminum odoratissimum.

256 Ixia longiflora.

265 ---- Bulbocodium.

253 Lathyrus articulatus.

259 Lilium Catesbæi.

278 ------ candidum.

275 Liriodendron Tulipifera.

254 Lopezia racemosa.

257 Lychnis chalcedonica.

277 Mahernia pinnata.

262 Mesembryanthemum aureum.

260 Metrosideros citrina.

283 Mimulus ringens.

269 Ornithogalum nutans.

288 Passiflora ciliata.

279 Plumeria rubra.

286 Portlandia grandiflora.

267 Pyrus spectabilis.

266 Ranunculus amplexicaulis.

284 Rosa semperflorens.

281 Turnera angustifolia.

INDEX.

In which the English Names of the Plants contained in the _Eighth Volume_ are alphabetically arranged.

Pl.

267 Apple-tree Chinese.

276 Blite strawberry.

274 Borbonia heart-leaved.

264 Cistus beautiful.

272 Corn-flag square-leaved.

258 Coronilla purple.

261 Crane's-bill flesh-coloured.

266 Crowfoot plantain-leaved.

271 Cyrtanthus narrow-leaved.

255 Cytisus common.

273 Diosma one-flowered.

280 Dogsbane tutsan-leaved.

262 Fig-marigold golden.

263 Glycine purple.

268 ------- dingy-flowered.

270 ------- scarlet.

287 Goodenia smooth.

282 Hedysarum creeping-rooted.

285 Jasmine sweet.

256 Ixia long-flowered.

265 ---- crocus-leaved.

253 Lathyrus jointed-podded.

259 Lily Catesby's.

278 ---- white.

254 Lopezia mexican.

257 Lychnis scarlet.

277 Mahernia winged.

260 Metrosideros harsh-leaved.

283 Monkey-flower narrow-leav'd.

288 Passion-flower fringed-leaved.

279 Plumeria red.

286 Portlandia great-flowered.

284 Rose ever-blowing.

269 Star of Bethlehem Neapolitan.

275 Tulip-tree common.

281 Turnera narrow-leaved.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Botanical Magazine Vol. 8, by William Curtis