C on ] 



Chironia Linoides. Flax-Leaved 



Chironia. 



Clafs and Order. 



PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Generic Charatler. 



Cor, rotata, Piftillum declinatum. St am. tubo corollae infiden- 

 tia. Anther* demum fpirales. Peric. 2-loculare. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



CHIRONIA linoides herbacea foliis linearibus. Linn. Syft. 



Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 229. Ait. Kew. v. 3. 



p. 487. 

 RAPUNTIO affinis lini facie capitis b. fpei. Breyn. Cent. 175. 



f. 90. 



The Chironia baccifera already figured, afforded a lingular 

 inftance of variation from the generic character in its feed 

 veffel ; in the prefent fpecies we have as remarkable a one in 

 the antherae, which do not finally affume the fpiral appearance 

 fo peculiarly charaQeriftic of the genus ; yet in all other re- 

 fpe&s it is a perfect Chironia, and a very neat pretty green- 

 houfe plant it is, occupying but little room, and enlivening 

 the collection by its bloflbms, plentifully produced during 

 moft of the year, and efpecially at the clofe of fummer ; it re- 

 quires to be frequently renewed, which is eafily done, as it 

 ftrikes readily from cuttings; it requires alfo more warmth 

 in the winter than moft greenhoufe plants, and as it is apt to 

 go off in cold moift feafons, it will be prudent to keep a pot 

 or two of it on the front fhelf of the ftove during fuch unfa- 

 vourable weather. 



LinnvEus defcribes it as having an herbaceous ftem, and 

 Mr. Ay ton marks it as an herbaceous plant ; but furely it is 

 not herbaceous, in the Uriel: fenfe of the word, nor is it fo 

 regarded by cultivators. 



It is a native of the Cape, and was introduced by Mr. 

 Masson in 1787. 



