C E L 



C E L 



a liiiht ash-colourcd bark, and fi-.U of joints, 

 armed with long spines, upon which grow many 

 small leaves : the braiichcs are slciuler, arnud 

 also with spines at every joint; bnt the whole 

 plant is so weak as to require support : the 

 leaves conu- out in clusters without order, arc 

 shaped somtvv hat like those oi' the narrow-leaved 

 box-tree, but longer and of a loose texture; arc 

 obovate and acutely serrate: both thebrunches and 

 branchlets are angular : the flowers are on pc- 

 duncled cymes trom the axils, and the fruit 

 globular. It is a native of the Cape, flowering 

 in May and June. 



Culliire. — The two first species are capable of 

 being raised either by seeds or layers, but the 

 latter is the more ready method. 



In the lirst m )de, the seeds should be sown 

 upon light fresh earth, either in beds or pots, as 

 soon as they are procured from abroad, keeping 

 thcin perfectly free from weeds till the plants are 

 of sufikient growth to be planted out in nursery- 

 beds, watering them occasionally when the 

 weather is dry. They are mostly lit for this in 

 the course of about two years. 



In the latter method, layers from the young 

 shoots should be laid down in the autumn, slit- 

 tine them at a joint on the under sides. They 

 are'mostiy sutficiently rooted to be taken off" and 

 planted out in the nursery in rows by the suc- 

 ceeding autumn. 



The latter species should have a rather moist 

 loamy soil. 



The two last sorts are likewise capable of be- 

 inf increased in the satiie methods ; but they 

 should be in pots, in order to their being placed 

 under the protection of frames or other contri- 

 vances when the weather is severe. After they 

 have had a twelvemonth's growth they may be 

 removed into other pots separately. 



Cuttings made from the young shoots in all 

 the sorts~may likewise be stricken in the early 

 spriii'j; months in pots exposed to a hotbed heat. 

 These may be planted out in the following 

 autumn, either in pots separately, or where they 

 are to remain, according to their kindi. 



These sorts should not be treated too tenderly, 

 as they are apt to be rendered weak in their 

 branches and less verdant. 



The two first species are of a hardy nature, 

 being well adapted to the borders and clumps of 

 pleasure-grounds in mixture with other shrubs 

 of the mo'i-e tall growths. The first should, how- 

 ever, have a warm aspect and rather dry soil. The 

 latter also succeeds in wilderness q'larters under 

 the shade of tall trees, where it winds itself about 

 them to a great height, producing a fine effect 

 in the autumn by its fruit. 



Tlie last two sorts are more tender, requiring, 



as just observed, to be kept in pots tu have liic 

 pmteetion of the grtenhouse in winter, uhcrc 

 they afford varietv in assemblage with others 

 of the more hardy kinds. 

 CELblKY. S'ecApiuM. 



CELOSIA, a genus containintr plants of the 

 flow er\' ornamental annual kind. The Amaranth, 

 or CiTck's Comb. 



It belongs to the class and order Ptntamlrin 

 Moiiotri/iiiii, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Mkcellanece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a three- 

 leaved pcrianthium : leaflets lanceolate, dry, acute, 

 and permanent, similar to the corolla: the co- 

 rolla h.is i\\Q. petals, lanceolate, acuminate, erect, 

 permanent, stittish, calycifotm: the nectary a 

 margin suirounding the germ, very small, five- 

 cleft: the stamina consist of five subulate fila- 

 ments, conjoined at the base to the plaited nec- 

 tary, the length of the corolla: the anthers ver- 

 satile : the pistillum is a globular germ : the style 

 subulate, straight, the length of the stamens : the 

 stiirma simple: the pencarj ium is a globular cap- 

 sid^, surrounded by the corolla, one-celled, cir- 

 cumcised: the seeds few, roundish, and emai- 

 ginatc. 



The species commonly cultivated are: 1. C.cris- 

 tala, Crested Amaranth, or Cock's Comb ; 2. C. 

 margariiacea. Pearly Spiked Celosia, or Cock's 

 Comb ; 3. C. coccinea, Scarlet Celosia, or Chinese 

 Cock's Comb ; 4. C. lanata. Woolly Celosia. 



The first has an upright, stiff", single stem, 

 from one to five feet in height : the leaves are 

 large, oval, spear-shaped, on angular foot-stalks : 

 the principal stem is crowned with a large crested 

 head composed of numerous small florets pla- 

 ced closely together, resembling the comb of a 

 cock. It is a native of Asia. 



There are many varieties, differing in form, 

 mao^nitude, and colour, from t!ie fame seed. In 

 the°Dwarf kinds, with large purple heads of 

 flowers, with red heads, with scarlet heads, and 

 with yellowish heads: in the Giant kinds, with 

 very large purple heads, with red heads, with 

 scarlet heads, with yellowish heads, with white 

 heads, and with variegated heads: in the Brancli- 

 inii kinds, with purpFe, with red, and with bufl- 

 coTourcd flowers. 



The editor of Miller's Dictionary has raised 

 creat varieties from seeds from China and other 

 countries, but generallv found them alter in a 

 few years, notwithstamling great care was taken 

 in saving the seeds. The principal colours of 

 their heads were red, purple, yellow, and white; 

 but he has had some whose heads have been va- 

 riegated with two or three colours. He also 

 raised some from seeds from Persia, whose heads 

 were divided like a plume of feathers, and were 



