A M A 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



A M A 



85 



varieties. It is found wild in Virginia, and Arabia Felix : 

 it flowers from June to September. 



19. Amaranthus Strictus. Racemes compound, erect 

 strict : leaves ovate, concave. Stem two feet high or more, 

 obscurely angular. Place of growth unknown. 



20. Amaranthus Laetus. Racemes compound, erect; 

 leaves ovate, obtuse, mucronate. Stem never exceeding a 

 foot in height ; leaves green, smooth ; the point herbaceous. 



21. Amaranthus Cruentus ; Various-leaved Amaranth. 

 Racemes decompound, naked, patulous ; leaves lanceolate- 

 ovate. Stem a foot and half or two feet in height, grooved ; 

 green, with red streaks, smooth, slightly pubescent among 

 the flowers. Native of the East Indies and China ; flower- 

 ing from June to August. Propagated as the 23d species. 



22. Amaranthus Hypochondriacus ; Princes-feather Ama- 

 nnith. Racemes compound, crowded, erect ; leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, mucronate. Stem erect, a foot and half, or two 

 feet high. It is a native of Virginia, and flowers from July 

 to September. It is now become a common weed, growing 

 upon dunghills. 



23. Amaranthus Sanguineus ; Spreading or Bloody Ama- 

 ranth. Racemes compound, erect ; branches spreading, 

 smooth; leaves oblong, acute. Stem four feet high ; flowers 

 of 'a bright purple colour, turning darker as the seeds ripen. 

 It flowers from the middleof June until September. Topro- 

 pagate this species, the seeds should be sown in a moderate 

 hot-bed, towards the end of March. The plants must be 

 transplanted, when large enough, to another moderate hot- 

 bed, where they must be watered, and shaded from the sun, 

 till they have taken new root ; and then should have free air 

 always during mild weather. At the beginning of June, they 

 may be taken up, with large balls of earth to their roots, and 

 planted, some in pots, and others into the borders of the plea- 

 sure garden, observing to shade them until they have taken 

 good root; after which they must be frequently watered in dry 

 weather, especially those in pots, which will require it every 

 evening in warm dry-weather. These plants are a great orna- 

 ment to good gardens during the latter part of summer. 



24. Amaranthus Paniculatus. Racemes compound ; 

 branches spreading, pubescent ; leaves ovate-lanceolate. 

 Stem upright, firm, a fathom in height, grooved. Native 

 of America. 



25. Amaranthus Retroflexus; Hairy Amaranth. Racemes 

 super-decompound, erect; branches pubescent; leaves ovate. 

 Stem three-feet high. A native of Pennsylvania ; and now 

 a common weed in gardens near London. 



26. Amaranthus Chlorostachys. Racemes compound, 

 nodding ; leaves lanceolate. Stem four feet high. Its na- 

 tive place of growth unknown. 



27. Amaranthus Flavus ; Pale Amaranth. Racemes com- 

 pound, nodding; leaves ovate-lanceolate. Stem sometimes 

 exceeding four feet high ; flowers green. The Portuguese 

 cultivate it as a culinary herb. Native of the East Indies. 



28. Amaranthus Caudatus ; Pendulous Amaranth, or Love- 

 lies-bleeding. Stem generally two feet high ; leaves a bright 

 green colour. Native of Persia, Ceylon, Guiana, Peru, &c. 



29. Amaranthus Spinosus ; Prickly Amaranth. Racemes 

 terminating, compound ; axils thorny. Stem upright, from 

 twelve to eighteen inches high. In the East and West Indies 

 it is eaten as a green, boiled with Basella Cordifolia. Native 

 of Guiana and Guinea, md flowering from July to September. 



Amaryllis ; a genus of the class Hexandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : spathe oblong, ob- 

 tuse, compressed, emarginate, gaping on the flat side, and 

 withering. Corolla . petals six, lanceolate ; nectary six very 

 abort scales, without the base of the filamenta. Stamina : 



VOL. I. 8. 



filamenta six, awl-shaped, with oblong, incumbent, rising: an- 

 therse. Pistil: germen roundish, furrowed, inferior; style 

 filiform, almost of the length, and in the situation, of the sta- 

 mina ; stigma tritid, slender. Pericarp : a subovate, three- 

 celled, three-valved capsule. Seeds.- several. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Corolla: six-petalled, irregular ; filamenta in- 

 serted into the throat of the tube, bending down, unequal 

 in proportion or direction. These plants are of the liliaceous 

 or bulbous tribe ; most of them have flowers of singular 

 beauty, highly deserving the care and attention of the curi- 

 ous botanist and florist. The best time to transplant the 

 roots of all the species is about the beginning of August, 

 when their leaves are decayed : they delight in a loose sandy 

 soil, mixed with good kitchen mould. There should be 

 little water given when their leaves are decaying ; but when 

 putting out their flowering stems, they should frequently be 

 refreshed with water. The species are, 



1. Amaryllis Lutea ; Yellow Amaryllis, or Autumnal Nar- 

 cissus. Spathe undivided, obtuse ; flower sessile ; corolla 

 bell-shaped, erect, shortly tubular at the base; stamina erect, 

 alternately shorter. Its flowers seldom rise above three or 

 four inches high ; they are shaped somewhat like those of 

 the large yellow Crocus. It flowers in September, and is a 

 native of the south of France, Spain, Italy, and Thrace. It 

 is very hardy, and increases fast by offsets ; is a pretty plant ; 

 and continues flowering until November, if the frost do not 

 destroy the flowers. It will grow in any soil or situation, 

 but thrives best in a fresh, light, dry soil, and open situation. 



2. Amaryllis Pumilio ; Dwarf Amaryllis. Spathe two- 

 leaved, one-flowered ; corolla funnel-shaped, equal ; seg- 

 ments revolute ; stamina bent in, alternately shorter. Na- 

 tive of the Cape ; flowering in November. 



3. Amaryllis Atamasco ; Atamasco Lily. Spathe bifid, 

 acute ; flower pedicelled ; corolla bell-shaped, nearly equal, 

 erect, shortly tubular at the base ; stamina bent down, equal. 

 The flowers are of a fine carnation colour ore the outside at 

 their first appearance, but fade till they become almost white ; 

 they are nearly as large as those of the Orange Lily, but do 

 not grow above six or eight inches high, appearing at the 

 end of May, or beginning of June, and sometimes in Au- 

 gust. It is a native of Virginia and Carolina, where it grows 

 plentifully in the fields and woods, making a beautiful ap- 

 pearance when in flower. It may be propagated by offsets 

 from the bulbs ; and, if planted in a warm situation, will 

 bear the open air of England. 



4. Amaryllis Formosissima ; Jacobtea Lily. Spathe undi- 

 vided; flower pedicelled; corolla two lipped, nodding, deeply 

 nix-parted ; stamina and pistil bent down. The flowers are 

 large, of a deep red ; the under petals very large ; and as 

 the whole flower stands nodding on one side of the stalk, it 

 makes a most beautiful appearance. It is a native of South 

 America. It is propagated by offsets, which may be taken 

 off every year in August ; and planted in pots of a middling 

 size, having a moderate degree of warmth, will produce 

 flowers plentifully, especially from March to September. 



5. Amaryllis Regina? ; Mexican Lily. Spathe with about 

 two flowers ; pedicels divaricating ; corollas bell-shaped, 

 shortly tubular, nodding ; throat of the tube hirsute ; leaves 

 lanceolate, patulous. Corolla scarlet,' with a bottom of a 

 whitish green, the flower-stems seldom rising more than one 

 foot high. It is in beauty in February ; and, in a moderate 

 temperature of air, will flower in March or April. It re- 

 quires a warm stove. 



6. Amaryllis Purpurea; Purple-flowered Amaryllis. Spathe 

 with about two flowers ; corollas somewhat erect, tubular at 

 the base ; throat of the tube smooth ; leaves linear-lanceolate. 



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