90 



superior, having five or six ribs from tob to bottom, and between the 

 ribs armed Avith bristle-shaped spines; at the top is the flatted stig- 

 ma: the seeds are very numerous, round, black, rough, with a com- 

 pressed scar on one side: the valves of the capsule vary in number, 

 as Avell as the petals, from four to six. It is a native of Mexico, and 

 flowers in July and August. 



Culture. As this is an annual plant, it may be easily raised by 

 sowing the seeds thinly in spots of light earth in the places where 

 the plants are to remain. As the plants shed their seeds, they mostly 

 continue for several years after they have been once introduced. 



2. AZALIA NUDIFLORA COCCINEA. 



SCARLET AZALIA. 



THIS genus contains plants of the hardy deciduous flowering 

 shrubby kinds. The Upright American Honeysuckle. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria Monogynia, and ranks 

 in the natural order of Bicornes. 



The characters of which are: that the calyx is a five-parted, 

 acute, erect, small, coloured, permanent perianthium: the corolla is 

 monopelalous, bell-shaped, semiquinquefid; the sides of the divi- 

 sions bent in: the stamina consist of five filiform filaments, inserted 

 into the receptacle and free: the anthers are simple: the pistillum 

 is a roundish germ : the style filiform, the length of the corolla, and 

 permanent: the stigma is obtuse: the pericarpium is a roundish cap- 

 sule, five-celled and five-valved: the seeds many and roundish. 



The species chiefly cultivated are: 1. A. nudiftora, Naked-flowered 

 Azalia; 2. A. viscosa, Viscid-flowered Azalia. 



The first in its native situation often rises to the height of fifteen 

 feet, but here is never more than half that height. It sends out seve- 

 ral stems from the root. The leaves are oblong, smooth, alternate 



