It is a hardy herbaceous plant, growing in favourable situations to the height of three or four feet; the main spike of flowers which terminates the stalk, is often a foot in length; by the time that most of its flowers are blown, side branches shoot out, and flower; so that the plant continues in bloom six weeks or two months: if the Autumn prove favourable, the plant with us produces plenty of seed in the open ground; to insure its ripening, some place pots of it, when blowing, in the greenhouse or stove. Beautiful and hardy as this plant is, and long as it has been introduced to this country, we do not find it generally in gardens; we attribute this to its having, in a greater degree than many other plants, a partiality for a particular soil; in certain districts, where the soil is stiff and moist, it grows as freely as any weed, in other soils it is perpetually going off: it is also one of those plants whose roots require to be often parted; if this be done every Autumn, and they be planted in a stiff loam, the situation somewhat moist and shady, this very desirable plant may be had to grow and blossom in perfection. It flowers from the latter end of July to October. Is increased by parting its roots, by cuttings of the stalk and from seed. [321] Cotyledon Orbiculata. Round-Leaved Navel-Wort. _Class and Order._ Decandria Pentagynia. _Generic Character._ _Cal._ 5-fidus. _Cor._ 1-petala. _Squamae_ nectariferae 5 ad basin germinis. _Caps._ 5. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ COTYLEDON _orbiculata_ foliis orbiculatis carnosis planis integerrimis, caule fruticoso. _Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 428._ _Ait. Kew. var. [delta] v. 2. p. 106._ COTYLEDON africanum frutescens incanum orbiculatis foliis. _Herm. Lugd. 349. t. 551._ _Moris. Hist. 3. p. 474. s. 12. t. 7 f. 39._ [Illustration: N^o. 321] The _Cotyledon orbiculata_ is one of our oldest succulents, being introduced as long since as 1690, by Mr. Bentick[C]: it still retains a place in most collections, deservedly indeed, for it has every claim to our notice; its appearance is magnificent, the glaucous colour of its foliage highly pleasing, its flowers large and of long duration; it blows freely, grows rapidly, is easily increased by cuttings, and will succeed in a house or window, with the common treatment of an African Geranium. When suffered to grow, it will become a shrub of considerable size; but this is not necessary for its flowering, as young and small plants are disposed to throw out blossoms, which is not the case with a plant extremely similar to, and often confounded with it, viz. the _Crassula Cotyledon_, whose foliage indeed scarcely differs from our plant but in being finely dotted. It is a native of the Cape, and flowers from June or July to September. In the _Hort. Kew._ of Mr. Aiton, four varieties are enumerated, differing chiefly in the form of their foliage. [Footnote C: Ait. Kew.] [322]