S T A 



S T A 



Tt belongs to the class and order Peritandiia 

 Disynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Cmiturtce. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianth, five-cleft, acute, small, per- 

 manent : the corolla one-petalled, large, flat, 

 thick, five-cleft bevond the middle : segments 

 wide, flat, acuminate : nectary, five leaflets, 

 spreading, linear, grooved, cmarginate with a 

 dagger point, opposite to the segments of the 

 corolla: leaflets five others, fastened alternately 

 with these a little higher to the. tube of the fila- 

 ments, and running along it, vertical, bifid : 

 interior segment erect, with the summit bent 

 outwards ; outer segment straight, compressed : 

 the stamina have five filaments, united into a 

 short tube; each anther fastened internally to 

 the base of each vertical leaflet of the nectary, 

 and wider than it, incumbent on the stigma, 

 short, two-lobed, two-celled, produced below 

 on both sides into an earlet, contiguous at the 

 margin to each of the neighbouring anthers as 

 far as the tip, and ascending at the tip : pollen 

 united into ten corpuscles, crescent-shaped, 

 flattish, ascending obliquely into the cells of the 

 anther, each on a very short pedicel, (with a 

 tranverse base, incumbent on the upper margin 

 of the earlet,) fastened by pairs to five small 

 twin coloured tubercles, placed on the apex of 

 the earlets, and adhering to the angles of the 

 stigma : the pistillum has two ovate germs, 

 flat inwards : styles none : stigma common to 

 both germs, large, placed on the tube of stamens, 

 acutely five-cornered, flat above, obliquely trun- 

 cate-excavated at the sides for the reception of 

 the anthers : the pericarpium two follicles, long, 

 awl-shaped, one-celled, one-valvcd ; the seeds 

 numerous, imbricate, compressed, crowned 

 with a down : the receptacle free. 



The species cultivated are: 1. S. hirsiita, 

 Hairy Stapelia : 2. S. variegata, Variegated Sta- 

 pelia. 



The first has the root composed of many 

 strong fibres, from which arise several stalks, 

 which send out other branches of the same 

 shape from their side, having indentures at each 

 angle their whole length, the points of which 

 are erect : the stalks or branches deep green, 

 but the angles and points of the indentures in- 

 clining to brown, especiallv if the plants be ex- 

 posed to the open air in summer. The flouers 

 tome out from the side of the stalks upon long 

 lleshy peduncles : the petal is of a thick leathery 

 substance j the inside variegated and hairy, and 

 the borders of the segments closely furnished 

 with long brown hairs : in the centre is the 

 double starry neclarium, the points of which 



are lacerated, and it is of a purple colour. Tt is 

 a native of the Cape, flowering in June and July. 



The second species has many branches the 

 size of a man's finger, four or five inches long, 

 having several protuberant indentures on iheir 

 sides which spread open horizontally, and end- 

 ing in acute points ; these branches spread on 

 the ground and emit roots from their joints; 

 they are angular, and of a deep green colour in 

 summer, but in winter change to purplish ; thev 

 abound with a viscous juice of a nauseous taste: 

 from the side of the branches towards the bot- 

 tom comes out the peduncle, at one of the 

 sinuses ; it is short, and sustains one flower of 

 a yellow colour spotted with purple ; it is a na- 

 tive of Africa, flowering in June and July. There 

 are others that mav be cultivated. 



Culture. — These sorts are readily increased 

 by cuttings or slips of the young branches, 

 which should be exposed a few days in a dry co- 

 vered place to heal over the cut part, and'be then- 

 planted in pots filled with light poor dry fresh 

 sandy earth with lime rubbish, plunging them 

 in the tan-bed of the stove, where thev soon 

 strike root; when they are well rooted they may 

 be removed into separate pots, replunging them 

 in the bed till fresh rooted, when they may be 

 placed on the tops of the flues, or on shelves in 

 the hot-house ; they are also capable of beino- 

 preserved in the green-house; they have a fine 

 effect in their leafless watery appearance and the 

 beauty of their flowers. 



STAPHYLEA, a genus containing plants of 

 the hardy deciduous flowering shrubby kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Trigynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Trmilatce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted perianth, concave, roundish, coloured, 

 almost as big as the corolla : the corolla has 

 five oblong petals, erect, like the calyx : nectary 

 from the receptacle of the fructification, in the 

 bottom of the flower, concave, pitcher-shaped: 

 the stamina have five oblong filaments, erect, 

 length of the calyx : anthers simple : the pistil- 

 lum is a thickish germ, three-parted : styles 

 three, simple, much longer than the stamens: 

 stigmas obtuse, contiguous : the pericarpium 

 has three capsules, inflated, flaccid, united lon- 

 gitudinally by a suture, opening inwards by the 

 acuminate apexes : the seeds two, bony, globu- 

 lar, with an oblique point and an orbicular ex- 

 cavation by the side of the apex. 



The species are : 1 . S. phmata, Five-leaved 

 Bladder-nut : 2. S. trifolia, Three-leaved Blad- 

 der-nut. 



The first has several shrubby stalks arising 



