225 



The third, in its native situation, grows to the size of an ordinary 

 tree; but here it is shrubby, the stem round, erect, with alternate, 

 spreading branches, that are wand-hke, leafy, brownish-green, and 

 nearly smooth : the leaves alternate, spreading, unequally and 

 coarsely serrate, entire at the base, five-nerved, bright green, very 

 smooth, except the young ones, which are slightly downy; their pe- 

 tioles are round, downy on the upper side: the stipules in pairs, 

 opposite, at the base of the petioles, linear, acute, deciduous : the 

 flowers axillary, solitary, peduncled, large, of a deep scarlet colour, 

 resemblinsf a double rose. It is common in China and the East 

 Indies. It is rare with single flowers. 



The fourth species has a pale stem, single, smooth, spreading out 

 wide into leafy branches at top; the w'ood resembling that of the 

 fig: the leaves are the same size Avith those of the vine, having the 

 roughness of fig leaves, and the form of both, or rather of the angu- 

 lar leaves of ivy; whitish underneath: the petioles rough, thick, three 

 or four inches in length: the peduncles thicker towards the top, 

 sometimes tinged with red, sustaining large handsome flowers, which 

 alter in their colour, as at their first opening they are while, then 

 they change to a blush rose-colour, and as they decay they turn to 

 a purple. Martyn remarks, that in the West Indies all their altera- 

 tions happen the same day; but that in England, where the flowers 

 last near a week in beauty, the changes are not so sudden. It is a 

 native of the East Indies, &c. The period of its blowing in the stoves 

 of this climate is November and December. 



It varies Avith double flowers, from which the single is frequentlv 

 produced; but the seeds of the single seldom vary to the double 

 kind. 



Culture, — The first sort is increased by seeds, layers, and cuttings. 



The seeds should be procured from abroad, and sown in pols 

 filled with light earth in the early spring months, ])lunging them in 

 a gentle hot-bed to bring them forAvard, or on a border in a Marm 

 exposure. They should be watered during the summer, and be pro- 

 tected from frost in the winter. ^Mien they have had two years 



2 (i 



