The encouragement given to this work, great beyond the Author's warmest expectations, demands his most grateful acknowledgements, and will excite him to persevere in his humble endeavours to render Botany a lasting source of rational amusement; and public utility. BOTANIC GARDEN, Lambeth-Marsh, 1787. [1] ~Iris Persica. Persian Iris.~ _Class and Order._ ~Triandria Monogynia.~ _Generic Character._ Corolla 6-partita: Petalis alternis, reflexis. Stigmata petaliformia. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ IRIS _Persica_ corolla imberbi, petalis interioribus brevissimis patentissimis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p._ 79. _Sp. Pl. p._ 59. IRIS bulbosa praecox minus odora Persica variegata. _Moris. hist._ 2. _p._ 357. XIPHIUM Persicum. _Miller Dict. ed._ 6. 4_to._ The Persian bulbous Flower-de-luce. _Parkins. Parad. p._ 172. [Illustration: No 1] A native of Persia. Flowers in February and March. Its beauty, early appearance, and fragrant blossoms, make it highly esteemed by all lovers of flowers; like the Hyacinth or Narcissus it will blow within doors in a water-glass, but stronger in a small pot of sand, or sandy loam; a few flowers will scent a whole apartment: it will also blossom in the open air, but requires warmth and shelter; it is propagated by offsets and seeds; the best flowering roots are imported from Holland, they bear forcing well; and hence this plant may be had to flower a full month or six weeks in succession. PARKINSON remarks, that in his time (1629) it was very rare, and seldom bore flowers. [2] ~Rudbeckia purpurea. Purple Rudbeckia.~ _Class and Order._ ~Syngenesia Polygamia Frustranea.~ _Generic Character._ Receptaculum paleaceum, conicum. Pappus margine quadri-dentato. Calyx duplici ordine squamarum. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ RUDBECKIA _purpurea_ foliis lanceolato-ovatis alternis indivisis, radii petalis bifidis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p._ 651. _Sp. Pl. p._ 1280. DRACUNCULUS virginianus latifolius, petalis florum longissimis purpurascentibus. _Moris. Hist._ 3. _p._ 42. _f._ 6. _t._ 9. _f._ 1. [Illustration: No 2] This species differs from the other plants of the genus, in the colour of its outermost petals, which are long, narrow, purple, and pendulous, and not unaptly resemble small pieces of red tape. Notwithstanding it is a native of the warm climates Carolina and Virginia, it succeeds very well with us in an open border: but, as Mr. MILLER very justly observes, it will always be prudent to shelter two or three plants under a common hot-bed frame in winter, to preserve the kind, because in very severe winters, those in the open air are sometimes killed. It flowers in July. As it rarely ripens its seeds with us, the only mode of propagating it, is by parting the roots; but in that way the plant does not admit of much increase. [3] ~Helleborus hyemalis. Winter Hellebore, or Aconite.~ _Class and Order._ ~Polyandria Polygynia[A].~ _Generic Character._