4G0 DR. J. D. HOOKEK OX lUCllSIA COCCiNEA. 



r 



coccinea of Alton was we now know with certainty, as stated 

 above, from the dried specimens in two contemporaneous Her- 

 baria, both taken from Alton's plant in 1788. 



In 1789, a _F. cocchiea was figured by Sims in the Botanical 

 Magazine (tab. 97), under which both FeuiUee's plate and the 

 ' Hortus Kewensis ' are quoted ; and it is stated to have been 

 first introduced into the Eoyal Gardens, Kew, by Captain Firth, 

 in 1788. The figure accurately represents the plant now com- 

 monly known as -F. coccinea^ and which is the F. magellanica of 

 Lamarck. Curiously enough, Sims's own specimen, marked F. 

 coccinea in his herbarium (now in the Benthamian at Kew) is not 

 the plant he figured in the Botanical Magazine, but Alton's 

 F. coccinea ! 



In 1791, Salisbury, in his 'Stirpes rariores* (p. 13, tab. 7), 

 published a capital figure and description of Alton's F. coccinea, 

 under the name of F, elegans ; he does not state why he changed 

 the name, and gives Brazil as its habitat, adding that it was In- 

 troduced by Yandelli. 



In 1792, Willdenow, in Uster's <Annales ' (vol. iil. p. 37, tab. 6), 

 figures and describes F, coccinea of Alton, but so loosely that 

 either plant may be meant. 



In 1793-4, Schneevoogt's 'Icones' appeared in Holland, 

 wherein Aiton's F. coccinea is beautifully figured and described 

 as a Chilian plant, under the name of Nalntsia coccinea (n. 21), 

 with a reference for that name to S. J. Van Geuns in de Ver- 

 handl. van het provinc. Utr. Genootsch. vi. Deel, a reference I 

 cannot confirm, and which my kind friend Mr. Bennett has 

 vainly tried to obtain for me. The name JVahttsia is given in 

 honour of the Professor of Chemistry at Utrecht. Aiton's 

 ' Hortus Kewensls ' is quoted for this plant, " excluso Linnsei 

 synonymo.'' 



In 179G, Vandelli's genus Quiliusa was published by Eoemer 

 in his ' Scrlpta ; ' and to it is referred without doubt (by Eoemer) 

 Aiton's F' coccinea. It is stated to be a Brazilian plant ; but the 

 description is insuflRcient to identify it. 



In 1796 also Salisbury's ' Prodromus' was published, wherein 

 this author (p. 279) again changes the name to F.pendulay quo- 

 ting liis 'Stirpes' for the name, and further quoting Curtis, 

 Alton, and Yandelli. 



In 1799, the second volume of Willdenow's * Species Plan- 

 tarum' appeared, in which (p. 310) jP. coccinea is described, but 

 here, again, too loosely for identification. Aiton's plant, and 



