A L Y 



A L Y 



winter, they flower early the following suni- 

 iTicr, and produce good seeds. It grows naturally 

 in Hungary. 



Tlic tliinl is a low plant, the branches trailing 

 on the siround. The leaves and stalks arc hesel 

 with strong hairs; the flowers axillary, smaller 

 than those of the common sort, and have purplish 

 bottoms. The leaves are deeply cut into three 

 parts, and have long petioles. The stalks are 

 woodv, but seldom last more than two years. 



In all the species and varieties the roots arc of 

 the librous and perennial kind. 



Culture. — The propagation in the first species 

 mav be eflceted with great facilitv, either by seeds 

 or parting the roots. In the first method, the 

 seeds should be sown in beds, or other situations 

 where the soil inclines to moisture ; as under 

 such circumstances the plants grow to a larger 

 size ; but thev will succeed in anv kind of land. 

 The latter mode is best performed in the autum- 

 nal season, as soon as possible after the stems 

 decay ; the roots being set out in smiilar situa- 

 tions to those employed for the seeds. If a num- 

 ber of the plants be set out together, as the roots 

 sprep.d much, they should not stand nearer than 

 two feet. 



The second species must be raised from seeds, 

 which should be sown in the spring. Thev should, 

 if possible, be sow II in the situations where the 

 plants are to remain; but if that cannot be the 

 case, it is necessary that they be transplanted 

 while very yoimg, in order to secure their perfect 

 growth. And that the ])lants may survive the 

 eevcritv of the w inters in this climate, it is essen- 

 tial that they be set out in a dry soil and sheltered 

 situation. They endure the cold better when 

 planted in Innc rubbish, or in soils that are of the 

 more stonv kinds; but the plants are not so per- 

 fect in their growth. The plants of this species 

 seldom contimie longer than two years in this 

 climate. Thev must therefore be renewed from 

 seed occasionallv, which is easily done on ac- 

 count of its ripening well in this climate. 



The third S|)ccies should likewise be propagated 

 by seed, which must be sown in the beginning 

 of April, upon light, rather moist earth, in the 

 situations w here they are to remain ; as from the 

 roots of the plants shooting dec|-), they rarely suc- 

 ceed when transplanted, except it be performed 

 while thev are very young, and when the season 

 is inclined to be moist. 



These plants, from the singularity of their 

 leaves, may be admitted in shrubbery and other 

 compartments of gardens and pleasure-grounds, 

 for the i^urpose of introducing variety among tlie 

 herbaceous plants. 



ALTILE.V I'nitex. See Hibiscus. 



ALYSSU.M, a genus which comprises several 



species of under shrubby, herbaceous, peren- 

 nial plants of the yllysion or Mnduort kind ; 

 that are chiefly flowery and ornamental. 



It belongs to the class and order Tcliadijiiamia 

 Si/iciilosa, and ranks in the natural order of Sili- 



(JHOSfC. 



The characters of w hich arc : that the calyx is 

 a four-leaved, oblong perianlhiinn, the leaflets 

 ovale, oblonsi, obtuse, convergent, and decidu- 

 ous : the corolla four-petalled and crueitorm: the 

 petals flat, shorter than the calyx, very spreading, 

 having claw s of the length of the calvx : tl«e sta- 

 mina have six filainiiUs of the length of the ca- 

 lyx, two opposite, a little shorter, marked with a 

 toothlet : antherce from erect spreading : the pis- 

 tillum has a sub-ovate germ, the style simple, of 

 the length of the stamina, longer than the germ, 

 and the stigma obtuse : the pericarpium is a .-.uh- 

 globo<e, emariiinate silicic, or broad and short 

 pod, with a style (jt the len<;th of the silicle, two- 

 celled, the partitions cliplic, and hemispherieal; 

 the seeds are tixed to filiform receptacles issuing 

 forth at the end of the silicle, few- and orbicular. 



There are many species, but those chiefly cul- 

 tivated are: 1. ^/. ,«p/«o,v//;n, Thorny or Prickly 

 Alysson; '2. A. halim'ifuHiim, Sweet or Sea Pur- 

 slane-leaved Alysson; 3. A. saxoli/e, Yelloi\ 

 Rock Alysson; 4. A. imaiiiim, Uoarv Erect Alys- 

 son ; 5. y/. co/yci«;////, Calvcine Alysson; d. J. 

 fa?«pef//'c, Field Alysson ; 7. A.aeticinn,Crt\.a\\ 

 Yellow Alysson; S. A.dfltoidcum, Deltoid-leaved 

 Alysson; 9. A, inotiianinn, Mountain Dark -yel- 

 low Al)sson. 



The first species has woody branches, which 

 rise about two feet high, and are armed with 

 small spines. 'J'hc leaves are h(iar\-, lanceolate, 

 and thinly placed on the stalks wititout any or- 

 der. The flowers grow in small clusters at the 

 extremities of the branches'. Tiie petals arc 

 white and entire, and the filaments toothless. It 

 is a native of Italy. 



The second species spreads itself upon tiie 

 ground, and never rises to any height. The 

 leaves are narrow, spear-shaped, pointed, and en- 

 tire. At the extremities of its brar.ehes it pro- 

 duces very pretty tufts of small white -coi<»nr«-d 

 flowers, of which the plant is seldoiu 'iestitute for 

 six or sevi'u months together. In it the aioiuina 

 are sim])le, and the silicles roundish and entire. 

 It is a n.i.iive ot the southern cnunlries of Europe. 



Thcthirdis al>oalo\\ plain, with a fleshy stalk, 

 which seldom rises more than one foot biiih, 

 but di\ides into many smaller branches, which 

 grow near the irround, so that a sin<;Ie plant 

 S])rcads to a considerable distance. The leavcsare 

 spear-shaped, soft waved and entire; the flower* 

 produced in loose piinieles at the exlreinitv of 

 every branch, and are of a bright yellow-colour. 



