S A R 



S A R 



earpium is a capsule, length of the calyx, co- 

 vered, one-celled, oblong: the seeds numerous, 

 small : the receptacle tree. 



The species cultivated is S. officinalis, Com- 

 mon Soapwort. 



It has a perennial root, striking deep and 

 Spreading wide, and creeping by runners: the 

 stems a toot and half in height, upright, round, 

 rigid, jointed, smooth, often reddish, panicled 

 at top: the leaves opposite, connate, quite en- 

 tire, three-nerved, smooth: the panicle hemi- 

 spherical, muny- flowered, bractcolate : the co- 

 rolla flesh-coloured or rosq-cploured, varying to 

 white, smelling sweet: the petals entire, crowned 

 at the throat i the seeds blackish, with a granu- 

 lated surface. It is a native of the Southern 

 parts or Europe, flowering from July to Sep- 

 tember. 



There are two varieties : as with double flowers, 

 which is preserved in gardens, but has the same 

 fault with the single one, of spreading very much 

 at the root. 



The hollow-leaved, in which the roots do not 

 spread like those of the common sort : the stalks 

 are shorter, thicker, and do not grow so erect ; 

 they rise a foot or more in height ; the joints 

 are very near and swelling : the leaves are pro- 

 duced singly on the lower part of the stalks, but 

 towards the top they are often placed by pairs; 

 they are about three inches long and two broad, 

 having several longitudinal veins or plaits, and 

 are hollowed like a ladle : the flowers are dis- 

 posed loosely on the top of the stalk, have large 

 cylindrical calyxes, only one petal, and scarcely 

 any visible stamens ; they are of a purple colour, 

 and appear in July. 



Culture. — These plants are readily increased 

 by parting the roots, and planting them out 

 either in the autumn or early spring : the hol- 

 low-leaved variety may likewise be raised from 

 slips or cuttings planted at the same seasons. It 

 should have adry situation, where the air is good. 



The double sort affords variety in the borders 

 and other parts, and the hollow-leaved variety 

 is useful for ornamenting rock work. 



SARRACENIA, a genus containing plants 

 of the herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Polyandria 

 Monos>/>iia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Sucrulo/iicB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a double 

 perianth; lower three-leaved: leaflets ovate, 

 very small, deciduous; upper live- leaved;, leaflets 

 suhovate, very large, coloured, deciduous : the 

 corolla has five ovate petals, bent in, covering 

 the stamens: claws ovate-oblong, straight: the 

 stamina have numerous small filaments: anthers 

 >imple : the pistillum is a roundish germ : style 



cylindrical, very short: stigma clypeate, peltate, 

 live-cornered, covering the vt.u/iins, permanent : 

 tin. periearpium is a roundish, five-celled cap 

 the seeds numerous, roundish, acmniiu'e, small. 



The species are: i. S.Jtava, Yellow Side- 

 saddle flower ; i!. S. pin (jurcd, Purple Side- 

 saddle Flower. 



The first has the leaves mar three feet high, 

 small at the bottom, bat widening gradually to 

 the top ; they are hollow, and arched over at the 

 mouth like a liiar's cowl: the flowers glow on 

 naked pedicels, rising from the root to the 

 height of three feet, and are of a green colour. 

 It is a native of Carolina, Virginia, Sec. flower- 

 ing in June and July. 



The second species has a strong fibrous root, 

 which .'trikcs deep into the soft earth, from which 

 arise five, six, or seven leaves, in proportion to- 

 the strength of the plant ; these are about five 

 or six inches long, hollow like a pitcher, narrow 

 at their base, but swell out large at the top j. 

 their outer sides are rounded, but on their inner 

 side they are a little compressed, and have a 

 broad leafy border running longitudinally the 

 whole length of the tube; and to the rounded 

 part of the leaf there is on the top a large ap- 

 pendage or ear standing erect, of a brownish 

 colour ; this surrounds the outside of the leaves 

 about two thirds of the top, it is eared at both 

 ends, and waved round the border : from the 

 centre of the root, between the leaves, arises a 

 strong, round, naked footstalk, about a foot 

 high, sustaining one nodding flower at the top : 

 the leaflets of the upper calyx are obtuse, and 

 bent over the corolla, so as to cover the inside of 

 it; they are of a purple colour on the outside, 

 but green within, only having purple edges: tha 

 petals are of a purple colour, and hollowed like 

 a spoon. It is a native of most parts of North 

 America, in boggy situations. 



Culture. — As these plants grow naturally in 

 soft boggy situation*, they are raised with diffi- 

 culty here. The best mode is to procure them 

 from the places of their natural growth, and to 

 have them taken up with large balls of earth to 

 their roots, and planted in tubs of earth ; they 

 should be constantly watered during their pas- 

 sage, otherwise they decay before they arrive : 

 as there is little probabifity of raising these 

 plants irom seeds, so as to produce flowers in 

 many years, if the seeds should even grow, young 

 plants should be taken up for this purpose, as 

 they are more likely to stand than those which 

 have flowered two or three times. When the 

 plants arc brought over, they should be planti d 

 into pretty large pots, which should be filled 

 with soft spongy earth, mixed with rotten wood, 

 moss, and turf, which is very like the natural 



