C 768 ] 



Othonna Pinnata. Pinnated Othonna, 

 or African Ragwort. 



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C/^z/} <zw^ Order. 

 Syngenesia Polygamia Necessaria. 

 Generic CharalJer. 

 Recept. nudum. Pappus fubnullus. Cal. l-phyllus multifidus, 

 fubcylindricus. 



Specific Charatler and Synonyms. 

 OTHONNA pinnata; radice tuberofa, caule herbaceo, de- 

 cumbente foliis radicalibus glaucis obovatis inte- 

 gerrimis et pinnatifidis : caulinis ovatis feflilibus, 

 pedunculis unifloris longiflimis. 

 OTHONNA pinnata; foliolis pinnatifidis pinnis lanceolatis 

 integerrimis decurrentibus. Linn. Suppl. 387. 

 Mart. Mill. Dicl. a. 10. 

 OTHONNA bulbofa. (3. Spec. Plant. 1309. Reich. 3. 933. 



Hort. Kew. 3. p. 276. 

 JACOB^EjE affinis planta tuberofa capitis b. fpei. Breyn. 

 Cent. 1. /. 66. Mori/on. Hift. f. 7. t. 18. /. 33. 

 v (qua ejl Breynii figura contracla.) 



The bulbous-rooted Othonna is faid to put on as great a 

 variety of appearances as any plant whatever, but perhaps 

 fome really diftinfr fpecies have been confounded together, and 

 by the advice of Prof. Thunberg this variety was feparated 

 in the Supplementum Plantarum by the younger Linnaeus. 

 This change has been adopted by Martyn inhisedition of Mi l- 

 ler's Dictionary ; under fuch authority we acquiefce, although 

 we have no doubt but our plant is the fame with that figured by 

 Breynius, which probably is the one that Linnaeus had parti- 

 cularly in view whenhe framed his fpecific character of Oth o nna 

 bulbofa ; in this figure one of the younger leaves is evidently 

 pinnated. The leaves in our fpecies are glaucous, obovate, very 

 obtufe, fome quire entire, others pinnatifid; the calyx is cylindri- 

 cal, eight-toothed ; teeth acute, black at the point ; the feeds are 

 crowned with a feffile hairy pappus. Before the flowering-ftem 

 moots forth, this plant hasvery much the appearance of a tuberous- 

 rooted Geranium. It has a very particular manner of fleeping, 

 the petals being neatly rolled back every evening from the apex 

 to the bafe, remain in this ftate till morning, when they again 

 expand. We were favoured with this very rare plant by 

 MefTrs. Napier and Chandler, Nurferymen, in Wandfworth- 

 Road. Flowers in May, and requires the fame treatment as the 

 bulbous-rooted Geraniums. 



