232 



SAXIFRAGACE^E. XIII. VAHIIA. XIV. CRYPTOPETALUM. XV. HYDRANGEA. 



Tomentose Vahlia. PI. to | foot. 



* * Asiatic species. 



6 V. OLDENLA'NDIJE (D. C. prod. 4. p. 54.) stem erect ; leaves 

 linear, pubescent ; peduncles axillary, 2-flowered, shorter than 

 the leaves. Q.P. Native of Tranquebar. Oldenlandia pen- 

 tandra, Rets, obs. 4. p. 22. Heuchera dichotoma, Murr. comm. 

 goett. 1772. p. 64. f. 1. Oldenlandia dichotoma, Spreng. pug. 

 2. p. 36. Flowers white. Perhaps Oldenlandia biflora, Roth, 

 nov. spec. 97. but not of Lin. is sufficiently distinct from this ; 

 there are varieties of it with 4-5 -parted flowers. 



Oldenland's Vahlia. PI. A foot. 



7 V. SESSILIFLORA (D. C. prod. 4. p. 54.) stems decumbent ; 

 leaves lanceolate ; flowers axillary, sessile. Q.? H. Native of 

 Tranquebar. Oldenlandia digyna, Retz, obs. p. 23. Olden- 

 landia decumbens, Spreng. pug. 2. p. 36. Oldenlandia sessili- 

 flora, Smith in Rees' cycl. vol. 25. no. 2. Flowers pentapeta- 

 lous, digynous, white. 



Sessile-flowered Vahlia. PI. decumbent. 



Obs. The Oldenlandia depressa of Willd. and Smith will 

 probably make an eighth species to this genus when properly 

 examined. 



Cult. The seeds of all the species should be reared on a 

 hot-bed ; and in the month of May, when the plants will have 

 obtained a considerable size, they may be planted out in the open 

 border, in a warm sheltered situation. The V. Capensis, being 

 a herbaceous perennial shrub, will require the treatment of other 

 green-house plants. 



XIV. CRYPTOPETALUM (from K? VTTTOS, cryplos, hidden, 

 and TrtraXov, petalon, a petal ; petals minute, inclosed in the 

 calyx). Hook, et Am. in bot. misc. 3. p. 254. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Trigynia. Calyx turbinate, 5-cleft, 

 green : segments ovate, acute, spreading. Petals 5, inserted in 

 the tube of the calyx, and alternating with its segments, inclosed, 

 minute, spatulate. Stamens 5, inserted in the tube of the calyx, 

 small, and almost inclosed, alternating with the petals ; filaments 

 filiform ; anthers minute, roundish, orange-coloured, 2-celled. 

 Ovarium subglobose, with the lower part adhering to the calyx : 

 upper part free, 1 -celled ; placentas free, parietal, linear, divari- 

 cately bilamellate, many ovulate ; ovula very slender, membra- 

 nous. Styles 3, short, hardly united at the base ; stigmas 

 minutely papillose. Capsule globose, inclosed in the perma- 

 nent calyx, 1 -celled, opening at the cells, and 3-valved in the 

 free part ; each of the valves terminated by a permanent style. 

 Seeds numerous, pale, oval, obtuse at both ends, dotted ; albu- 

 men thin, fleshy. Embryo straight, central. A small annual 

 smooth herb, about half an inch high. Stems erect, dichoto- 

 mous, branched ; branches divaricate. Leaves alternate, spatu- 

 late, quite entire, fleshy, hardly nerved. Flowers terminal, 

 large for the size of the plant, emulating those of Chrysos- 

 pleriium. 



1 C. PUSI'LLUM (Hook, et Arn. 1. c.) Q. H. Native of 

 Chili, at Quintero. This curious plant is placed at the end of 

 Saxifragaceee, because it seems more nearly allied to that order 

 than to any other ; it agrees with Chrysosplenium in many par- 

 ticulars. 



Small Cryptopetalum. PI. -J inch. 



Cult. Sow the seed in a small pot filled with a mixture of 

 peat and sand. 



Tribe II. 



HYDRA'NGE^E (plants agreeing with Hydrangea in being 

 shrubby). D. C. prod. 4. p. 13. Shrubs, with opposite simple 

 exstipulate leaves. Flowers disposed in corymbs, having 5 

 petals, 10 stamens, and 2-3 styles ; outer ones, and sometimes 



all, are often sterile ; these sterile ones are more ample and 

 dilated than the fertile ones. 



XV. HYDRA'NGEA (from vlup, hydor, water, and ay- 

 yeiov, aggeion, a vessel ; some of the species grow in water, and 

 the capsule has been compared to a cup). Lin. gen. 557. Gaertn. 

 fruct. 1. p. 150. t. 30. f. 7. Lam. ill. t. 370. D. C. prod. 4. 

 p. 13. Hydrangea and Hortensia, Juss. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Di-Trigynia. Flowers usually dif- 

 formed (f. 53. a. b.} ; but some of them are fertile and herma- 

 phrodite (f. 53. 6.). Tube of calyx hemispherical, 10-ribbed, 

 rather truncate, adnate to the ovarium : limb permanent, 5- 

 toothed (f. 53. b.). Petals .5, regular. Stamens 10. Styles 2 

 (f. 53. c.), distinct. Capsule 2-celled, with introflexed valves, 

 crowned by the teeth of the calyx and styles (f. 53. b.c.\ flat- 

 tish at the top, opening by a hole between the styles. Seeds 

 reticulated, numerous. Shrubs, with opposite leaves. Flowers 

 corymbose, red or yellow, but usually white : the marginal ones 

 sterile, and large, in consequence of the teeth of the calyx being 

 dilated into broad petal-like coloured segments, the rest of the 

 flower having the other parts abortive. 



* Species natives of America. 



1 H. ARBORE'SCENS (Lin. spec. p. 568.) leaves ovate, rather 

 cordate : superior ones lanceolate, coarsely toothed, pale and 

 puberulous beneath ; corymbs flattish ; flowers nearly all fertile ; 

 alabastra obtuse. Tj . H. Native from Pennsylvania to Vir- 

 ginia. Flowers white, small, having an agreeable odour. 



Far. a, vulgaris (Ser. in D. C. prod. 4. p. 14.) nerves of 

 leaves puberulous. T? . H. H. vulgaris, Michx. fl. bor. amer. 

 1. p. 268. and probably of Pursh. H. arborescens, Curt. bot. 

 mag. 437. Lam. ill. t. 370. f. 1. Schkuhr, handb. t. 119. Mill, 

 fig. 251. H. frutescens, Mcench, meth. 1. p. 106. Du Ham. 

 arb. 1. t. 118. 



Var. ft, discolor (Ser. 1. c.) leaves almost white beneath from 

 tomentum. 



Arborescent Hydrangea. Fl.Jul. Aug. Clt. 1736. Sh. 4 to 6 ft. 



2 H. CORDA'TA (Pursh, fl. amer. sept. 1. p. 309. exclusive of 

 the synonyme of Michx.) leaves broadly ovate, acuminated, 

 rather cordate at the base, coarsely toothed, glabrous beneath ; 

 flowers all fertile. Tj . H. Native of Carolina, on the moun- 

 tains, and on the banks of the Missouri above St. Louis. Wats, 

 dendr. brit. t. 42. Flowers small, white, sweet-scented. Ac- 

 cording to Torrey, this is merely a variety of H. arborescens. 



Cordate-leaved Hydrangea. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1806. Sh. 

 6 to 8 feet. 



3 H. PERDVIA'NA (Moric. mss. with a figure, ex D. C. prod. 

 4. p. 14.) leaves oval, loosely serrated, coriaceous, reticulately 

 veined, glabrous, rusty beneath, at the nerves, and on the pe- 

 tioles ; young branches and peduncles clothed with purplish 

 tomentum ; outer flowers of the corymb large and sterile : inner 

 ones hermaphrodite and petandrous. Jj . G. Native of Peru, 

 near Huyaquaquil. Perhaps a species of Corntdia, and pro- 

 bably C. Peruviana. 



Peruvian Hydrangea. Shrub 4 to 6 feet. 



4 H. NIVEA (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 268.) leaves cordate, 

 oval, acuminated, sharply toothed, clothed with white tomentum 

 beneath, or pubescence ; corymbs flattish ; sepals of sterile 

 flowers entire ; alabastra depressed. J? . H. Native of North 

 America, about the Savannah river. Wats. dend. brit. t. 43. 

 Lam. ill. t. 307. f. 2. H. rad&ta, Walt. fl. car. 251. ex Michx. 

 but not of Smith. Flowers white, rather large. 



Far. ft, glabella (Ser. in D. C. prod. 4. p. 14.) leaves nearly 

 glabrous beneath ; flowers all fertile. l-> . H. This variety has 

 probably originated from culture. 



White-leaved Hydrangea. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1786. Shrub 

 4 to 6 feet. 



