N E R 



N I C 



* 



sort, and smell like those of hawthorn : the 

 plain flowers are of a soft red or peach colour; 

 but in most they are beautifully variegated with 

 a deeper red, and make a fine appearance: the 

 usual time of flowering is in July and August, 

 but in a warm stove it will continue in flower tdl 

 aelmas : from the Bowers being double, 

 they are not succeeded by seeds. They arc all sup- 

 posed to have a poisonous finality. 



The third is a middle sized tree, with bra- 

 chiate branches : the leaves opposite, Hat, quite 

 entire, smooth : the flowers herbaceous or green- 

 ish white, in short subternnnating racemes : the 

 segments of the crown oblong, alternately trilid 

 and linear. It is a native of the East Indies. 



The fourth species is an elegant branched 

 shrub, four feet high, milky, with an ash- 

 coloured bark : the younger branches are shin- 

 ing, green, compressed a little, apposite at the 

 end: the leaves long, lanceolate, acute, quite 

 entire, shining, on short petioles, opposite : the 

 peduncles one-flowered, thickish, in pairs from 

 the divisions of the branchlets and decussating 

 with them : the flowers handsome, but without 

 scent: the perianthium green: tube of the corolla 

 greenish yellow : the border snow-white. It is a 

 native of the East Indies, flowering most part 

 of the summer. 



Ctdlure. — These plants may be increased by 

 layers, cuttings, and suckers from the roots. 



The layers should be made in the early spring 

 months, as from March till Mav, but the earlier 

 the better; the youngest lower branches being 

 chosen for the purpose, which should beslit-lay- 

 ed, giving plenty of water during the summer, and 

 they will be mostly rooted by the autumn follow- 

 ing ; but by plunging the pots in which they are 

 laved in a bark hot-bed their rooting may be 

 greatly forwarded : when thev are properly root- 

 ed, they may be taken off and removed into se- 

 parate pots. 



The cuttings should be planted in the spring 

 or the early part of summer, taking off the young 

 shoots, five or six inches long, and planting 

 them in large pots of rich mould, placing them 

 under glasses, and giving water and shade 

 occasionally: but if plunged in a bark-bed it 

 will greatly promote and forward their rooting. 



The suckers arising from the bottom are 

 sometimes furnished with roots, but when this 

 is not the case a small slit should be given at 

 the lowest part ; afterwards applying fresh mould 

 around it, when fibres will be emitted by the 

 end of summer; they may then be taken off and 

 potted separately. 



The first sort and varieties is rather hardv, but 

 should be kepi constantly in pots or tubs,' to be 

 protected through severe winters. 



The other sorts arc often placed in the hot- 

 house during winter, but when less tenderly 

 treated and supplied more freely with air in mild 

 weather, they are said by some to succeed bet- 

 ter, provided they be carefully screened from 

 every effect of frost or severe cold. 



Thev are verv ornamental among other potted 

 plants of the les.s lender kinds. 



NE'ITLE-TREE. See Ckltis. 



NEW JERSEY TEA. See Ckanothus. 



NICKER TREE. . See Guilandina. 



NICOTIAN A, a genus containing plants of 

 the herbaceous annual kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentcmdria 

 Moiiogy/iict, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Luridce. 



The characters arc: that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium, ovate, half-five-cleft, per- 

 manent: the corolla is one-petalled, funnel-form : 

 tube longer than the calyx : border somewhat 

 spreading, half-five-cleit, in five folds: the sta- 

 mina have five awl-shaped filaments, almost the 

 length of the corolla, ascending : anthers oblong: 

 the pistillum is an ovate germ: style filiform, the 

 length of the corolla: stigma capitate, emarginate : 

 the pericarpium is asubovatecapsule, marked with 

 a line on each side, two-celled, two-valved, open- 

 ingat top : receptacles half-ovate, dotted, fastened 

 to the partition : the seeds numerous, kidney- 

 form, wrinkled. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . N. fridicosa, 

 Shrubby Tobacco ; 2. JV. Talacum, V'irginian 

 Tobacco ; 3. N. rustica, Common or English 

 Tobacco. 



The first rises with very branching stalks 

 about five feet high : the lower leaves a foot 

 and half long, broad at the base where they 

 half embrace the stalks, and about three inches 

 broad in the middle, terminating in long acute 

 points : the stalks divide into many smaller 

 branches, terminated by loose bunches of flow ers 

 of a bright purple colour, succeeded by acute- 

 pointed seed-vessels. It was found at the Cape. 



There is a variety which rises about five feet 

 high : the stalk does not branch so much as that 

 ot the former : the leaves are large and oval, about 

 fifteen inches long and two broad in the middle, 

 but diminish gradually in size to the top of the 

 stalk, and with their base half embrace it: the 

 flowers grow in closer bunches than those of the 

 former, and are white: they are succeeded by 

 short, oval, obtuse seed-vestels. It (lowers about 

 the same time with the former, and grows natu- 

 rally in the woods of the island of Tobago. 



The second species has a large, long, annual 

 root; an upright, strong, round, hairy stalk, 

 branching towards the top; leaves numerous, 

 large, pointed, entire, veined, viscid, pale green ; 



