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DRABA _aizoides_ scapo nudo simplici, foliis ensiformibus carinatis ciliatis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. Murr. p. 372._ _Ait. Hort. Kew.
v. 2. p. 372._
SEDUM alpinum hirsutum luteum. _Bauh. Pin. 284._
LEUCOJUM luteum aizoides montanum. _Col. Ecphr. 2. p. 62._
[Ill.u.s.tration: No 170]
The plant here figured, a native of the German Alps, is one of those whose beauty cannot be shewn in a small detached piece of it; to be admired, it must be seen in a tuft of some considerable size, which it is much disposed to form when growing among rock-work, for which, like many other small Alpine plants, it is well suited; thus elevated above the surface of the ground, the various beauties of this humble race are more distinctly seen, and their curious structure more readily inspected.
This species is the more to be esteemed, as it flowers very early in the spring, in March, and the beginning of April, and continues in blossom about six weeks.
LINNaeUS originally confounded it with a similar plant, the _Draba alpina_, a mistake since rectified in his _Mantissa Plant. p.
91._
[171]
IXIA CHINENSIS. CHINESE IXIA.
_Cla.s.s and Order._
TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
_Generic Character._
_Cor._ 6-part.i.ta, campanulata, regularis. _Stigmata_ 3.
_Specific Character and Synonyms._
IXIA _chinensis_ foliis ensiformibus; floribus remotis, panicula dichotoma, floribus pedunculatis. _Linn. Sp. Pl. v. i. p. 52._ _Ait. Hort. Kew. v. i. p. 62._
MORaeA _chinensis_ caule compresso, foliis ensiformibus, panicula dichotoma, floribus pedunculatis. _Murr. Syst. Vegetab. p. 93._
[Ill.u.s.tration: No 171]
In that elaborate and inestimable work, the _Hortus Malabaricus_, we have a good figure of the plant here exhibited, accompanied by a minute description; the author informs us that it grows spontaneously in India, attaining the height even of five or six feet, and affecting a sandy soil; the natives consider it as an antidote to poisons in general, and regard the bruised root as peculiarly efficacious in curing the bite of the serpent, called Cobra de Copella.
We raised plants of it last year from seeds imparted to us by J.
IBBETTSON, Esq. of the Admiralty; this year, during the months of August and September, many of them have flowered, and capsules are forming which have every appearance of producing perfect seeds; the root of this plant is yellow, and tuberous like that of the Iris, the leaves also greatly resemble those of that tribe, it grows to the height of about three feet, and produces a considerable number of flowers in succession each of which is of short duration.
The root and radical leaves as represented on the plate are much smaller than in plants which have been long established.
Our plants stood in pots in the open ground through the winter of 1790-1 without injury, but it must be remembered, that the weather during that period was uncommonly mild; it will be safest therefore to consider it as a tender herbaceous plant.
It differs so much in its fructification from many others of the genus, that Prof. MURRAY has considered it as a _Moraea_, with which, in our humble opinion, it has scarcely any affinity.
[172]
LAMIUM ORVALA. BALM-LEAVED ARCHANGEL, or DEAD-NETTLE.
_Cla.s.s and Order._
DIDYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA.
_Generic Character._
_Corollae_ labium superius integrum, fornicatum; lab. infer. 2-lob.u.m; faux utrinque margine dentata.
_Specific Character and Synonyms._
LAMIUM _Orvala_ foliis cordatis inaequaliter arguteque serratis, corollis fauce inflata, caulibus coloratis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14.
Murr. p. 534._
LAMIUM maximum sylvatic.u.m alterum. _Bauh. Pin. 231._
GALEOPSIS maxima pannonica. _Clus. hist. 2. p. 35._ Hungary Dead-Nettle, or the Dragon Flower. _Park. Parad. p. 385._
[Ill.u.s.tration: No 172]
Few of the plants of this genus have been thought to possess sufficient beauty for the flower-garden, the present one excepted, the magnificence of whose blossoms justly ent.i.tles it to rank with the more curious, if not the most beautiful of the vegetable tribes.
Though not common in our gardens, it has long been introduced, having been cultivated and accurately described, though badly figured, by PARKINSON in his _Parad. terr._
It grows spontaneously in the woods of Italy and Hungary, and flowers with us about the latter end of April, at which time, if cold winds prevail, it is apt to be injured, unless placed in a sheltered part of the garden.
It may be propagated either by seeds, or by parting its roots in autumn, is a hardy plant and grows readily.
[173]
AITONIA CAPENSIS. CAPE AITONIA.
_Cla.s.s and Order._
MONADELPHIA OCTANDRIA.
_Generic Character._
Monogyna. _Cal._ 4-part.i.tus. _Cor._ 4-petala. _Bacca_ sicca, 4-angularis, 1-locularis, polysperma.
_Specific Character and Synonyms._
