The Botanical Magazine Volume I Part 5

It is found in the gardens with double flowers.

Our plant accords exactly with the description of Linnaeus, above quoted, but must be carefully distinguished from some others very similar to it.

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~Iris variegata. Variegated Iris.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Triandria Monogynia.~

_Generic Character._

_Corolla_ 6-part.i.ta; _Petalis_ alternis, reflexis. _Stigmata_ petaliformia.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

IRIS _variegata_ corollis barbatis, caule subfolioso longitudine foliorum multifloro. _Linn. Spec. Pl. p._ 56.

IRIS latifolia pannonica, colore multiplici. _Bauh. Pin._ 31.

The yellow variable Flower-de-Luce. _Parkinson Parad. p._ 182.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 16]

This species of Iris, inferior to few in point of beauty, is a native of the hilly pastures of Hungary, and flowers in our gardens in the month of May, and beginning of June. It is a hardy perennial, requires no particular treatment, and may be easily propagated by parting its roots in Autumn.

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~Cactus flagelliformis. Creeping Cereus.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Icosandria Monogynia.~

_Generic Character._

_Calyx_ 1-phyllus, superus, imbricatus. _Corolla_ multiplex. _Bacca_ 1-locularis, polysperma.

_Specific Character._

CACTUS _flagelliformis_ repens decemangularis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab.

ed._ 14 _p._ 460.

CEREUS _flagelliformis_. _Miller's Gard. Dict. ed._ 6. 4_to._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 17]

Grows spontaneously in South-America, and the West-Indies, flowers in our dry stoves early in June, is tolerably hardy, and will thrive even in a common green-house, that has a flue to keep out the severe frosts.

It is superior to all its congeners in the brilliancy of its colour, nor are its blossoms so fugacious as many of the other species.

No plant is more easily propagated by cuttings; these Miller recommends to be laid by in a dry place for a fortnight, or three weeks, then to be planted in pots, filled with a mixture of loam and lime rubbish, having some stones laid in the bottom of the pot to drain off the moisture, and afterwards plunged into a gentle hot-bed of Tanners bark, to facilitate their rooting, giving them once a week a gentle watering: this business to be done the beginning of July.

It is seldom that this plant perfects its seeds in this country: Miller relates that it has borne fruit in Chelsea gardens.

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~Geranium Reichardi. Dwarf Geranium.~

_Cla.s.s and Order._

~Monadelphia Decandria.~

_General Character._

Monogynia. Stigmata 5. Fructus rostratus, 5-coccus.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

GERANIUM _Reichardi_ scapis unifloris, floribus pentandris, foliis subreniformibus inciso-crenatis.

GERANIUM _Reichardi_ scapis unifloris, foliis plerisque oblongis trilobis vel quinquelobis inciso-crenatis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed.

Murr._ 14. _p._ 618.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 18]

This species of Geranium, so strikingly different from all others at present cultivated in our gardens, has been known for several years to the Nursery-men in the neighbourhood of London, by the name of _acaule_, a name we should gladly have retained, had not Professor Murray described it in the 14th edition of Linnaeus's _Systema Vegetabilium_, under the name of _Reichardi_, a name he was disposed to give it in compliment to a French gentleman, who first discovered it in the island of Minorca, and introduced it into the gardens of France.

Linnaeus describes many of the Geraniums, as having only five antherae, though several of those he thus describes have to our certain knowledge ten, the five lowermost of which shedding their pollen first, often drop off, and leave the filaments apparently barren: but in this species (with us at least) there never are more than five, but betwixt each stamen, there is a broad pointed barren filament or squamula, scarcely to be distinguished by the naked eye.

The usual and best practice is to make a green-house plant of this species, though it has been known to remain in the open ground, during a mild winter, unhurt.

It continues to have a succession of blossoms during the greatest part of the summer, and may be propagated either by seed or parting its roots.

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