The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 3 | Page 8

William Eleroy Curtis
in this work, is a native of Peru) has long been an inhabitant of our gardens; it was the only species we had in the time of PARKINSON, by whom it is figured and described; it appears indeed to have been a great favourite with that intelligent author, for he says this plant "is of so great beauty and sweetnesse withall, that my garden of delight cannot bee unfurnished of it, and again the whole flower hath a fine small sent, very pleasing, which being placed in the middle of some Carnations or Gilloflowers (for they are in flower at the same time) make a delicate Tussimusie, as they call it, or Nosegay, both for sight and sent."
As the Passiflora c?rulea, from its superior beauty and hardiness, has in a great degree supplanted the incarnata, so has the _Trop?olum majus the minus_; we have been informed indeed that it was entirely lost to our gardens till lately, when it was reintroduced by Dr. J. E. SMITH, who by distributing it to his friends, and the Nurserymen near London, has again rendered it tolerably plentiful.
Like the majus it is an annual, though by artificial heat it may be kept in a pot through the winter, as usually is the variety of it with double flowers; but as it will grow readily in the open air, in warm sheltered situations, it should be raised on a hot-bed, like other tender annuals, if we wish to have it flower early in the summer, continue long in blossom, and produce perfect seeds.

[99]
ANTIRRHINUM PURPUREUM. PURPLE TOAD-FLAX.
Class and Order.
DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
Generic Character.
Calyx 5-phyllus. Coroll? basis deorsum prominens, nectarifera. Capsula 2-locularis.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
ANTIRRHINUM purpureum foliis quaternis linearibus, caule erecto spicato. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 555.
LINARIA purpurea major odorata. Bauh. Pin. 213.
LINARIA altera purpurea. Dod. Pempt. 183.
[Illustration: No 99]
Though not so beautiful as many of the genus, this species is a common inhabitant of the flower-garden, in which it continues to blossom, during most of the summer.
It is a native of Italy, and delights in a dry soil and situation; it will even flourish on walls, and hence will serve very well to decorate the more elevated parts of rock-work.
When once introduced it comes up spontaneously from seeds.

[100]
LATHYRUS TINGITANUS. TANGIER PEA.
Class and Order.
DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA.
Generic Character.
Stylus planus, supra villosus, superne latior, Cal. lacini? superiores 2-breviores.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
LATHYRUS tingitanus pedunculis bifloris, cirrhis diphyllis, foliolis alternis lanceolatis glabris, stipulis lunatis. _Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 663._
LATHYRUS tingitanus, filiquis orobi, flore amplo ruberrimo. _Moris, hist. 2. p. 55._
[Illustration: No 100]
The Tangier Pea, a native of Morocco, cannot boast the agreeable scent, or variety of colours of the sweet Pea; nor does it continue so long in flower; nevertheless there is a richness in the colour of its blossoms, which entitles it to a place in the gardens of the curious, in which it is usually sown in the spring, with other hardy annuals.
It flowers in June and July.
The best mode of propagating it, is to, sow the seeds on the borders in patches, where the plants are to remain; thinning them when they come up, so as to leave only two or three together.

[101]
ALYSSUM HALIMIFOLIUM. SWEET ALYSSUM.
Class and Order.
TETRADYNAMIA SILICULOSA.
Generic Character.
Filamenta qu?dam introrsum denticulo notata. Silicula emarginata.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
ALYSSUM halimifolium caulibus suffruticosis, diffusis, foliis lineari-lanceolatis integerrimis, villosiusculis, staminibus simplicibus, siliculis subrotundis integris. _Hort. Kew. V. 2. p. 381._
ALYSSUM halimifolium caulibus procumbentibus, perennantibus, foliis lanceolato-linearibus, acutis, integerrimis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p. 590._
Thlaspi halimi folio sempervirens. Herm. lugd. 594. t. 595.
[Illustration: No 101]
Grows spontaneously in dry situations, in the southernmost parts of Europe, where it is shrubby; and in similar situations it is so in some degree with us; but on our flower-borders, where it is usually sown, it grows so luxuriantly, that the stalks becoming juicy and tender, are generally destroyed by our frosts; hence it is an annual from peculiarity of circumstance; as such, it is very generally cultivated; the flowers exhibit a pretty, innocent appearance, and strongly diffuse an agreeable honey-like smell. They continue to blow through most of the summer months.
It is a very proper plant for a wall or piece of rock-work; care must be taken, however, not to sow too much of the seed in one pot, as it spreads wide, but it may easily be reduced at any period of its growth, as it does not creep at the root.
The specific description in the Hortus Kewensis above referred to, admirably characterizes the plant, but surely at the expence of its generic character.

[102]
CAMPANULA SPECULUM. VENUS'S LOOKING-GLASS.
Class and Order.
PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
Generic Character.
Corolla campanulata, fundo clauso valvis staminiferis. Stigma trifidum. Capsula infera, poris lateralibus dehiscens.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
CAMPANULA Speculum caule ramosissimo, diffuso; foliis oblongis subcrenatis, floribus solitariis, capsulis prismaticis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p. 209._
ONOBRYCHIS arvensis f. Campanula arvensis erecta. Bauh. Pin. 215.
[Illustration: No 102]
Grows wild among the corn in the
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