AST 



A T H 



the leaves at bottom are likewise ver\' long, and 



diniiniili upward, so as to iorni a son ot pyra- 

 mid ; these are winged, and conipused of many 

 large ()\al pairs ot lobes, which are plaeed thinly 

 on tile midrib, and terminated by an odd one: 

 the flowers come out in clusters from the wings 

 ot each leaf, beginning near the root where the 

 toot-bta'ks are the longest, and continuin<;' up- 

 wards, uiminishing in nvunber. They are Tarnv, 

 of a bright yellow colour, and are succeeded l)y 

 cylindrical pods opening in two cells, tilled wiili 

 square yellow seeds. It Uowers in July, and is 

 a native of the Levant. 



The third species has a perennial root : the 

 stems are many, upright, more than live feel in 

 height : the leaves have about fourteen pairs of 

 oval Icallels, terminated hv an udd one: the 

 peduncles are axillary, on which are small yel- 

 low flowers, inlooscspikes, extending beyond the 

 leaves. It flowers in June and July, and is a 

 native of Siberia. 



The fourth has a large, woody, and branching 

 root : the stems are a foot long, Icafv, branch- 

 ing, and hard : the leaves sublnrsute, w ith from 

 seven to ten pairs of leaflets, and no odd one: 

 the bractcs large, yellow, ovate-lanceolate : the 

 flowers upright, at the lower part of the stem, 

 on peduncles, from five to cight_, shorter than 

 the leaves : the calyx soft and villose, cylindrical, 

 with long capillary teeth: the corollas are long, 

 stiff, and of a pale violet colour: the banner long, 

 plaited, notched, with veins of deep purple: 

 the wings on a capillary peduncle, with a short 

 blunt hook: keel shorter, with short hooks, 

 and a bent pointed purple beak : the legume is 

 one-celled, with four seeds. It is a native of 

 the south of France, &c. 



There are varieties with oval lobed leaves; 

 with spear-shaped lobes; with spear-shaped, 

 pointed, downy lobes; with purple flowers; 

 with red flowers. Sec. 



Besides these species, there are others in this 

 numerous genus that equally deserve cultivation. 



Culture. — These plants are mostly of h.i*dy 

 grosvth, and capable of being raised with fa- 

 cility in almost any soil or siuiation. 



The first three species may he readily propa- 

 gated by sowing the seeds in the spring months 

 m the places where they are to grow and flo \er: 

 some, however, raise the perennial kinds in a 

 bed of good earth, afterwards transplanting 

 them inio the places where they are to remain ; 

 but the first practice is in general ihc best. 



The second species requires a rather warm 

 situation. 'l"he plants do not soiiictimes flower 

 before the third year when produced from seeds, 

 but in suitable soils they continue a great num- 

 ber of years. 

 -2 



The fourth species, as it rarely produces scetis In 

 this climate, is best produced by layers, cuttings 

 and slips, which should be i.ct in \hM of light 

 freih earth in April when the plains begin lu 

 shoot, and then plunged into a moderate hot- 

 bed till ihc plants rise, occasional sliade and 

 water being given, when they should be gra- 

 dually inured to tlic open air, to render iRem 

 hardy and |irevcnt their drawing up weakly. 



When raised from seed<, they should be sown 

 in pots at the >ame time as in the other ^peeiL1i, 

 being brouiiht forward in moderate hot -beds, 

 and, when the plants are of proper size«, trans- 

 planted into small pots, jjroper shade and water 

 oeing given till they are established. They re- 

 quire the protection of a frame or grt-cn-hoiisc 

 in the winter seasim; but a few may i)e planted 

 out in w arm dry situations after ihcy have been 

 two or three years in the pots. 



Some plants of the first species should be 

 raised ammally, as they frequently die after 

 flowering. 



In the fifth species the leaves are retained for 

 a considerable length of time, and when they 

 drop off the foot-stalks remain in the for:u 

 of sharp thorns for the protection of the plants. 



The lirsi three kinds afford variety in the bor- 

 ders and other parts of ornamented grounds, and 

 the fourth may be occasionally employed in the 

 same way, in dry warm aspects, as well as in 

 assemblage with other potted plants, during the 

 summer seas(m; but they mostly require pro- 

 tection in winter. 



ATAMASCO Lily. See ANfARVLLis. 

 ATHANASIA, a genus comprising various 

 plants, chiefly of the shrubby exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Sijngenesia 

 Poli/gamia Equalh, ranking in the natural order 

 of compound flowers, in the division Dhcoldece. 

 Its characters are: that the calyx is common 

 imbricate and ovale : the scales lanceolate and 

 pressed close : the corolla is compound uiiitbrm, 

 lonffer than the calyx; the coroUules herma- 

 phrodite, equal, and numerous: nropcr hinnel- 

 form; border five-clcft, acute and creclish: the 

 stamina consist of five capillary short fila- 

 iiuiiis: the anther cylmdric and tubular: the 

 piMiilum is an oblonsiish germ: the style filiform, 

 a little longer than tlie stamen: the .tigma bifid 

 and obtuse. Ii has no pericarpiuni : ihecaKx 

 is unchanged: the seeds arc solitary and ob- 

 long: the down chafl"y, consisting of very short 

 bristles: the receptacle is chafl'y : the chaffs lati- 

 eeolale and longer than the seed. 



There are many species, bui the following 

 may be cultivated : \. J4. dtntatu. Tooth- 

 leaved Alhaiwsia; C-y. aitltiiii/olin, Sampliire- 

 kaved Athanasia; 3. y/. autrifuriata, Trill*! 



