C 3°* ] 



Melianthus Minor. Small Melianthus, 

 or Honey-Flower. 



Clafs and Order. 



DlDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 



Generic Character. 

 Cat. 5-phyllus: folio inferiore gibbo. Petala 4: ne&ario infra 

 inhma. Cap/. 4-locularis. 



Specific Characler and Synonyms. 



MELIANTHUS minor ftipulis geminis diftin&is. Linn. Syjl. 



Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 581. Ait. Kew. v. 



2. p. 368. 

 MELIANTHUS africanus minor foetidus. Comm. rar. 4. t. 4. 



There are few flowers that do not fecrete from fome kind of 

 a glandular fubftance, honey, or neftar, to a greater or fmaller 

 amount ; in thofe of the preient genus, this liquid is particularly 

 abundant, even dropping from the flowers of the major, in 

 considerable quantity ; in the prefent fpecics it flows not To 

 copioufly, but is retained in the lower part of the bloffom, and 

 is of a dark brown colour, an unufual phenomenon. 



There are only two fpecies of this genus defcribed, the major 

 and the minor, both of which are cultivated in our nurferies; 

 the major is by far the mod common, the molt hardy, and the 

 moft ornamental plant; its foliage indeed is peculiarly elegant; 

 this fpecies will fucceed in the open border, efpecially tf 

 placed at the foot of a wall with a fouth or fouth-weft afpect, 

 taking care to cover the root to a confiderable depth with rot- 

 ten tan in fevere frofts : the minor is always kept in the green- 

 houfe, in which, when it has acquired a certain age, it flowers 

 regularly in the fpring, and conftantly fo, as far as we have 

 obferved of the plants in Chelfea Garden ; Mr. Aiton fays in 

 Auguft, and Commelin the fummer through. 



The Melianthus minor grows to the height of three, four, or 

 five feet ; its ftem, which is fhrubby, during the flowering feafon 

 is apt to exhibit a naked appearance, having fewer leaves on 

 it at that period, and thofe not of their full fizc ; but this, 

 perhaps, may in fome degree be owing to the plant's being 

 placed at the back of others. 



The foliage when bruifed has an unpleafant fmell. 



It is a native of the Cape, and, according to Mr. ArTotf. 

 was cultivated by the Duchefs of Beaujukt, io 1708; J 

 propagated readily by cuttings. 



