27 2 Dr. Smith % Botanical Characters of feme Plants 



lone; cylindrical feflile clufter. Their petals are green, often (lightly 

 downy; ftamina very long, crimfon. Capfules round, deprefled, 

 when old crowding each other into an angular form. 



it. M. lanceolata % foliis alternis lanceolatis rnucronatis, fioribus 

 lateralibus confertis feffilibus pubefcentibus. 

 M. citrina. Curt. Mag, t. 260. 



A beautiful fhrub, now very common in evervgreenhoufe, which 

 firft flowered feveral years ago at the March ionefs of Rocking- 

 ham's, but not in perfection ; neither does Mr. Curtis' s figure give 

 a good idea of the natural fituation of its bloflbms, which veiy 

 nearly referable thofe of the preceding. 



It is totally unaccountable to me how this plant came by the 

 name of citrina, there being nothing about it approaching to a 

 lemon-colour, except the pollen, which would hardly have occa- 

 fioned fuch a denomination. Sometimes I have imagined it might 

 allude to a refemblance in the appearance or fmell of the leaves to 

 a lemon tree, which however does not exift ; and if it did, the name 

 ought to have been citrea. I would never change a name that has 

 been generally in ufe, whether publifhed or not ; but this is too pre- 

 pofterorrs to be retained. 



12. M. faligna, foliis alternis lanceolatis utrinque attenuates 

 mucronatis, fioribus lateralibus confertis ferlilibus glabris. 



This is diftinguifhed from the preceding by its tapering left rigid 

 leaves, fmaller yellowilh flowers, the calyx and petals of which are 

 quite fmooth in all their parts, neither downy nor fringed. It is 

 not in the gardens. I had a fufpicion this might be the M. vimi- 

 mlis of Gartner .; but the original Specimens of that fpecies at Sir 



Jofejph 



