VESICA'RIA UTR1CULATA. 



SMOOTH VESICARIA. 

 Class. Order. 



TETRADYNAMIA. 8IL1QUOSA. 



Natural Order. 



CRUCIFBRjE. 



No. 84. 



Vesicaria, from the Latin vesica, a bladder, in 

 allusion to its bladder-like seed vessels. Utriculata 

 is also from the Latin, and has nearly the same sig- 

 nification. 



This plant is the Alyssum utriculatum of Curtis 

 and others ; but from its appearance in the Hortus 

 Kewensis, under the genus Vesicaria, it has thence 

 been copied into the general catalogues, and is now 

 distinguished in most respectable nurseries, by the 

 name we have adopted. 



It is an extremely gay and hardy herbaceous 

 plant, continuing in bloom a considerable time. 

 After its blossoms have faded, its spik? of inflated 

 silicles still form an object by no means uninterest- 

 ing, till the seeds are ripe in July. It will flower 

 in any common garden soil, and may be readily pro- 

 pagated either by seeds or from cuttings. Probably 

 the following method of increase may be pursued 

 with advantage. Fill up the interstices of the plant 

 in the summer with soil, so that the whole of the 

 branches may, in reality, be laid ; they will, it is 

 presumed, make strong plants for separation in the 

 following year. 



Hort. Kew. 2, v. 4, 97. 



