1. The Chives and Pointal, cleared from the Blossom.
2. A Chive.
3. The Pointal.
Though we have little doubt in referring this plant to the title under
which we have figured it, and by which it has been long known to most
botanists, at least by name; yet have we great ones, whether it ought in
any wise to be considered as such. Thunberg, perhaps the only botanist,
who has seen it in flower, thought so, and placed it to a genus he had
named Fabricia. Certainly no one character of the genus Hypoxis, can be
traced in the flower. The husk is of one valve, the petals not even
close at the base, the threads flat, the summits three, and
halbert-shaped, the shaft pillar-shape and short, &c. But, as upon our
old plea, we do not choose to change generic names when long
established, this plant, for us, must still remain an Hypoxis; tho’ it
could not now be placed, at any rate, to Fabricia, as that title is
given to a family of plants, natives of New Holland. The star-flowered
Hypoxis is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, is rather a tender bulb,
and does not often flower. It was according to the Kew Catalogue first
introduced to the Royal Gardens by Mr. F. Masson, in the year 1788; but
as the time of flowering is not mentioned, we suppose it did not flower
there. The root should, like other Cape bulbs, be removed from the pot
after flowering, and replanted in October. It propagates itself pretty
freely by offsets, if planted in light sandy peat, mixed with a little
loam. The drawing was made in June, this present year, at the
Hammersmith nursery.
[Illustration]
PLATE CII.
EPIGÆA REPENS.
_Creeping Epigæa._
CLASS X. ORDER I.
_DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Ten Chives. One Pointal.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
CALYX. Perianthium duplex, approximatum, persistens.
_P. exterius_ triphyllum; foliolis ovato-lanceolatis, acuminatis;
exteriore majore.
_P. interius_ quinquepartitum, erectum, exteriore paulo longius;
foliolis lanceolatis, acuminatis.
COROLLA monopetala, hypocrateriformis; tubus cylindricus, intus
hirsutus; limbus patens, quinquepartitus, lobis ovato-oblongis.
STAMINA. Filamenta decem, filiformia, longitudine tubi. Antheræ
oblongæ, acutæ.
PISTILLUM. Germen globosum, villosum. Stylus filiformis,
longitudine staminum. Stigma obtusum, subquinquefidum.
PERICARPIUM. Capsula sub-globosa, depressa, pentagona,
quinquelocularis, quinquevalvis.
SEMINA plurima, subrotunda.
_Receptaculum_ magnum quinquepartitum.
EMPALEMENT. Cup double, close together, and remaining.
_Outer cup_ three-leaved; leaflets between lance and egg-shape,
pointed; the outer one the largest.
_Inner cup_ of five divisions, upright, a little longer than the
outer; leaflets lance-shaped and pointed.
BLOSSOM one petal, salver-shaped; tube cylindrical, hairy within;
the border spreading with five divisions, the segments of an oblong
egg-shape.
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