lines long, downy, without bracteas. Calyx of four erect, 

 elliptical, concave leaves, pale green, hirsute, scarcely sac- 

 cate at the base. Petals bright yellow, oblongo-obovate, 

 retuse, with a claw nearly equal in length with the border, 

 which latter is patent and even recurved. Stamens: Fila- 

 ments subulate, the shorter ones with an obtuse tooth in the 

 inside near the middle : Anthers oblong, greenish. Pistil: 

 Germen oblongo-cylindrical, densely clothed with white 

 hairs : Style a quarter of the length of the germen : Stigma 

 capitate, papillose, yellow. Pouch elliptical, compressed, 

 hoary. Septum complete. Cells two- to four -seeded. 

 Seeds large, flat, with a broad, membranous ring. Cotyle- 

 dons accumbent. 



This plant is a native of the Greek Archipelago, and 

 was introduced to our gardens, where (in England at least) 

 it is treated as a hardy perennial, by Mr. Ph. Miixer, in 

 1731. The specimen here figured is from the Glasgow 

 Botanic Garden, where, sheltered by a frame in winter it 

 produces its bright coloured blossoms in March and April, 

 and those again are succeeded by the numerous and large 

 seed-vessels. 



Tournefort has figured this plant in his Voyage to the 

 Levant, and his account of its discovery is admirably de- 

 scriptive of his own botanical enthusiasm. " The 22d of 

 September," he says, " as we passed close by Caloyero, an 

 ugly rock twelve miles from Amorgos, the master of our 

 vessel would needs climb one of its sharp points to take 

 some young falcons out of the nest. We did not dare to 

 follow him. This man not only knew how to run up the 

 shrouds, but would scale the steepest rocks with surprising 

 agility. We desired him to bring us all the plants he could 

 light on, assuring him we would willingly resign to him our 

 share of the falcons. He accordingly brought us some 

 plants, which we could have preferred to all the Birds of 

 Paradise in Arabia. The description of one of these beau- 

 tiful plants take as follows. Lunaria fruticosa, &c." Voy. 

 ed.Angl.v. I. p. 188. 



Fig. 1. Root-leaf: nat. size. 2. Flower. 3. Stamens and Pistil. 4. One 

 of the shorter Stamens. 6. Silicula (nat. size.) 7. Seed. 8. Embryo : 

 — all but fig. 1 and 6 magnified. 



