^^J^ Dr. SmithV Botanical CharaSlers of fame Plants 



long cylindrical feflTile clufter. Their petals arc green, often flightly 

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

 when old crowding each other into an angular form. 



11. M. lanceolata, ioXns alternis lanccolatis mucronatis, floribus 



lateralibus confertis feffilibus pubefcentibus. 

 M. citrina. Curt. Mag. i. 260. 



A beautiful flirub, now very common in every greenhoufe, which 

 fii-ft flowered leveral years ago at the March ionefs of Rocking- 

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

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

 nearly refemble 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 exifl:; and if it did, the name 

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

 been generally in ufe, whether publiflied or not; but this is toopre- 

 pofterous to be retained. 



12. M. faligna, foliis alternis ianceolatis utrinque attenuatis 



mucronatis, floribus lateralibus confertis fcfhlibus glabris. 



This is diftinguil'hed from the preceding by its tapering lefs rigid 

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

 quite fmooth in all their parts, neitfer downy nor fringed. It is 

 not in the gardens. I had a fufpicipn this might be the M. vimi~ 

 «tf//V of Gaeitner; but the original fpecimens of that fpecies at Sir 



Jofeph 



