a ee 
Polyandria Mesogyais,. Lin: Gen. Plant. 644. 
Gen. Ch. Cal. 4-phyllus, coriaceus. Petala 4: Stam, fonge Bacca 
corticofa, unilocularis, pedunculata. 
Sp. Ch. C. pedunculis folitariis unifloris, ftipulis fpinofis, foliis 
annuis, capfulis ovalibus. 
ROOT woody, crooked. Stem trailing, miuch branched, round, 
{mooth: branches alternate, {preading, often downy, leafy, many 
flowered. Leaves alternate, on fhort footftalks, fpreading, oval, or 
roundifh, in the wild plant often terminated by a little fharp point, 
which difappears by culture, entire, veiny, fucculent, bright green, 
deciduous. Stipule none: but in their ftead are two fpines at the 
bafe of the footftalks, acute, fomewhat recurved, yellowifh, which 
are nearly obliterated in the cultivated plant. Flowers numerous, 
axillary, folitary, on footftalks, without bractex, large, handfome, 
inodorouss Flower-ftalks round, longer than the leaves. Calyx of 
four unequal concave leaves, tipped with purple. Petals much larger 
_ than the calyx, {preading, obovate, waved, white, with a faint tin@ure 
of red. Stamina very numerous, the length of the petals, {preading, 
flender, in the upper part, pale purple like the anthere. Germen 
oval, {mall, green, ftanding on a round purplith footftalk, which is 
longer than the ftamina. Stigma fmall, blunt. Capfille oblong, 
oval, coriaceous. 
It is a native of the fouth of France, Italy, and the Levant. 
Dr. Smith, of whofe figure and defeription of the Caper-buth we 
have here availed ourfelves, fays, “it is furprifing that this beautiful 
fhrub, which is as common in the fouth of France as the bramble 
with us, ard which grows luxuriantly in the open air, when trained 
again{t a wall, even at Paris, fhould be almoft unknown in the Eng- 
lith gardens, where it can {carcely be made to flower, except in a 
ftove, with all poffible care.” * 
* Specil. Bot. t. 20. 
The © 
