The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 02 / Or, Flower-Garden Displayed

This species of Passion-flower is one of those which have been introduced into the English gardens since the time of Miller; if it does not equal the cœrulea in elegance, it excels it in magnificence, in brilliancy of colour, and in fragrance, the blossoms being highly odoriferous: as yet, it is by no means so general in this country, as its extraordinary beauty merits, we have seen it flower this year, both summer and autumn, in great perfection in the stove of our very worthy friend James Vere, Esq. Kensington-Gore; at the Physic Garden, Chelsea; and at Mr. Malcom's, Kennington; at Chelsea, in particular, it afforded the richest assemblage of foliage and flowers we ever saw.

It appears to the greatest advantage, when trained up an upright pole, nearly to the height of the back of the stove, and then suffered to run along horizontally.

By some it has been considered as a variety only of the Passiflora quadrangularis, others, with whom we agree in opinion, have no doubt of its being a very distinct species; it differs from the quadrangularis, in having leaves more perfectly heart-shaped, and less veiny; in having four glands on the foot-stalks of the leaves, instead of six; and in not producing fruit with us, which the quadrangularis has been known frequently to do.

The Nursery-men report, that this species was first raised in this country, by a gentleman in Hertfordshire, from West-India seeds.

The usual mode of propogating it here, is by cuttings.

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This species of Mesembryanthemum, so different in the shape of its foliage from all the others hitherto introduced into this country, is first described in the Supplementum Plantarum of the younger Linnæus, from which we learn that it grew in the Upsal Garden, into which it was most probably introduced by professor Thunberg, as on his authority it is mentioned as a native of the Cape of Good Hope.

Mr. Zier, Apothecary, of Castle-Street, was so obliging as to present me this summer with the seeds of this curious plant, I sowed them in a pot of earth, plunged in a tan pit, whose heat was nearly exhausted; they quickly vegetated, and though the summer was far advanced, they proceeded rapidly into flower, and bid fair to produce ripe seeds, as the Capsules have long since been formed.

The whole plant is sprinkled over with glittering particles like the ice plant, to which it bears some affinity in its duration, being an annual and requiring the same treatment.

The blossoms are small and yellow, and if the weather be fine, open about two or three o'clock in the afternoon, the stalks are of a bright red colour, and the foliage yellowish green.

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By the old Botanists, this plant was considered as a Sedum; and to this day it is generally known in the gardens by the name of the Cobweb Sedum, though its habit or general appearance, independent of its fructification, loudly proclaims it a Houseleek.

In this species the tops of the leaves are woolly; as they expand they carry this woolly substance with them, which being thus extended, assumes the appearance of a cobweb, whence the name of the plant.

Like most of the Houseleeks it is best kept in a pot, or it will grow well and appear to great advantage on a wall or piece of rock-work; the more it is exposed to the sun, the more colour will enliven its stalks and foliage, and the more brilliant will be its flowers; the latter make their appearance in July.

It is propagated by offsets which it sends forth in abundance.

It is no uncommon practice to treat this beautiful species of Houseleek, as a native of a warm climate; under such an idea we have seen it nursed up in stoves, while the plant spontaneously braves the cold of the Switzerland Alps.

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If there be any one genus of plants more universally admired than the others, it is that of the Rose—where is the Poet that has not celebrated it? where the Painter that has not made it an object of his imitative art?

In the opinion of Miller, the Moss Rose, or Moss Province, as it is frequently called, is a perfectly distinct species; Linnæus considers it as a variety only of the centifolia: as it is found in our Nurseries in a double state only, and as we are ignorant of what country it is the produce, the decision of this matter must be left to future observation and inquiry.

Though it may not increase so fast by suckers, nor be increased so readily by layers, as the centifolia, there is no difficulty in propagating it either way; the latter mode is usually adopted.

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The leaves of this species have small hairs, issuing like rays from their points, whence its name of barbatum; there are two others figured by Dillenius, whose leaves have a great similarity of structure, and which are considered by Linnæus as varieties of this species; our plant is the Stellatum of Miller's Dict. ed. 6. 4to.

Like most of this tribe it inhabits the Cape, flowers in July, and is readily propagated by cuttings.

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That this singular species of Statice was long since an inhabitant of our gardens, appears from Parkinson, who in his Garden of Pleasant Flowers, gives an accurate description of it, accompanied with an expressive figure; since his time it appears to have been confined to few gardens: the nurserymen have lately considered it as a newly-introduced species, and sold it accordingly.

It is one of those few plants whose calyx is of a more beautiful colour than the corolla (and which it does not lose in drying); it therefore affords an excellent example of the calyx coloratus, as also of scariosus, it being sonorous to the touch.

Being a native of Sicily, Palestine, and Africa, it is of course liable to be killed with us in severe seasons, the common practice is therefore to treat it as a green-house plant, and indeed it appears to the greatest advantage in a pot; it is much disposed to throw up new flowering stems; hence, by having several pots of it, some plants will be in blossom throughout the summer; the dried flowers are a pretty ornament for the mantle-piece in winter.

Though a kind of biennial, it is often increased by parting its roots, but more advantageously by seed; the latter, however, are but sparingly produced with us, probably for the want, as Parkinson expresses it, "of sufficient heate of the Sunne."

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It is not a little extraordinary that this plant which has for many years been cultivated in this country, should have escaped the notice of Linnæus; it is equally wonderful that we should at this moment be strangers to its place of growth.

Having three leaves growing together, it has been considered by many as the trifoliatus of Linnæus but his trifoliatus is a very different plant, a native of Canada, producing small yellow flowers.

It has been usual to treat this species as a green-house plant, or at least to shelter it under a frame in the winter; probably it is more hardy than we imagine.

It is propagated by parting its roots in autumn, and by seeds, though few of the latter in general ripen, nor do the roots make much increase—to these causes we must doubtless attribute its present comparative scarcity.

It flowers as early as February; on which account, as well as that of its singularity, it is a very desirable plant in collections.

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