ABELIA, UNIFLORA. 33 



ABELIA UNIFLORA. 



Large-Jlowered Abelia. 

 Linnean Glass — Pentandkia. Order — Moxogynia. Natural Order — Caprifot.tace.k. 



Our scientific Botanists are not, it mnst be admitted, always happy in their choice 

 of names for the -various novelties brought under their notice ; and the Abelia 

 uniflora is a case in point. Its specific designation, uniflora, would, of course, 

 suggest the idea that the flowers were produced singly, or but one on each foot- 

 stalk ; it appears, however, that the peduncles are generally two-, and not un- 

 frequently three-flowered, as an inspection of our figure will shew — the name is, 

 therefore, singularly infelicitous. The misnomer may perhaps be explained by 

 the circumstance that all the parts of the plant are rather variable in their 

 character, and it is probable that the specimen from which the species was 

 named, possessed only one-flowered peduncles. The leaves, for example, are 

 opposite, usually in pairs, but sometimes ternate, or three in a whorl; and whilst 

 some are toothed at their edges, others are nearly or quite entire ; the sepals 

 also vary in number from two to four, and the character of the pubescence is 

 inconstant. 



But whatever may be the fitness of its present appellation, it is not likely to be 

 confounded, especially when in flower, with the other species in cultivation, from 

 which it is veiy distinct. 



It is an evergreen shrub of somewhat slender habit, the branches partially 

 decumbent. The leaves are broadly lance-shaped, pointed, dark green on the upper 

 surface, but pale beneath. The flowers are produced from the axils of the leaves, 

 and, as already stated, vaiy in number from one to three on each peduncle. The 

 corolla externally is white, tinged with pale purple, with a yellowish throat, and 

 resembles in its form that of many plants of the order ScrophdareacecB, especially 

 some of the Pentstemon family ; it is singular that this resemblance extends even 

 to the arrangement of the stamens, which, instead of being five in number, as in 

 the other species of the genus, and most of the Caprifoils, are didynamous, as in the 

 Order just referred to. It is scarcely necessary to add, however, that there is no 

 real relationship between the two Orders. 



The genus, Abelia, thus affords us a striking example of the advantages possessed 

 by the Natural system of Botany over that founded by Linnaeus; for although the 

 different species agree in every essential point of their structure, yet the exigencies 

 of the Linnean system would require that the present plant should be arranged 

 with the THdynamia; whilst tin; others being pentandrom, would, of course, be placed 

 in the fifth Class. 

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