Although a syngenesious plant, its root is of the tuberous kind; which is a peculiarity almost unparalleled in that extensive class. The flowering-stems shoot up late in spring, and are chiefly simple: they rise to the height of one or two feet, furnished with long linear leaves; the uppermost of which are gradually shortened, and they are all more or less ciliated near the base; but in this respect they are either liable to differ very considerably, or there are several varieties (perhaps species) of the plant. There is likewise another strikingly singular trait in the character of this Serratula: the flowers commence opening at the top of the spike first, and continue flowering downwards; instead of upwards, in the usual manner; which is a circumstance I cannot recollect having seen in any other plants; except Agave virginica and Allium descendens. Cultivators usually suppose the name of the last-mentioned plant to apply to its roots striking deep into the earth: but this we apprehend is an erroneous supposition; for it is clearly allusive to its perverted mode of flowering. The spiked-flowered Saw-wort flowers in July, loves a light soil in the open air; and is propagated, although slowly, by parting its roots after the stems die down. Gmelin queries, and with propriety, in his edition of _Systema Naturæ_ above cited, whether S. spicata, and S. squarrosa, (another North American species,) are not generically distinct from the other Serratulæ. Our drawing was made from plants in the collection of Lady de Clifford, at Paddington. [Illustration] PLATE CCCCII. CLEMATIS FLORIDA. _Large-flowered Virgin’s Bower._ CLASS XIII. ORDER VI. _POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA._ Many Chives. Many Pointals. ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. CALYX nullus. Petala quatuor, rarius quinque. Semina caudata. EMPALEMENT none. Petals four, rarely five. Seeds tailed. SPECIFIC CHARACTER. CLEMATIS, foliis decompositis, foliolis binatis ternatisque, petalis ovatis. _Willd. Sp. Pl. 2. 1287._ CLEMATIS, with decompound leaves, leaflets in twos and threes, and egg-shaped petals. REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 1. A petal. 2. The chives and pointals. 3. The pointals. The large-flowered Virgin’s Bower was introduced into the English gardens, in the year 1776, from Japan; of which country it is a native; and possesses by much the largest and most showy flowers in the whole genus. Although introduced so long since, it is not often met with. Our drawing was made from very fine plants in the collection of Messrs. Colvill, Nurserymen in the King’s Road, in the month of July last; where they made an exceeding fine appearance. Like many of the Japanese plants, it is found capable of resisting the severity of our ordinary winters, without receiving much injury.