HEP, 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



H ES 



683 



in the spring; when the plants are two inches high, trans- 

 plant each into a separate pot, filled with fresh rich earth, 

 and plunged into the hot-bed again, observing to water and 

 shade them until they have taken root ; after which admit 

 air to them in proportion to the warmth of the air, or the 

 heat of the bed, and water them frequently. As the plants 

 advance, remove them into larger pots, being careful not to 

 break the roots, and to preserve a good ball of earth to them : 

 if their leaves hang, screen them from the sun until they 

 have taken new root. Shift them in July, that they may be 

 well rooted before the cold approaches. Keep them con- 

 stantly in the bark-stove ; in winter grve them a moderate 

 share of heat, and in summer plenty of air when the weather 

 is hot. With this management, the plants will grow to the 

 height of sixteen feet or more, and the leaves being very 

 large, will make a beautiful appearance in the stove. 



2. Hernandia Ovigera ; Egg-fruited Herhandia. Leaves 

 ovate, petioled at the base. A tree, with leaves six inches 

 long ; fruit the size of an egg, and similar in structure to that 

 of the first species. Native of the East Indies. 



3. Hernandia Guianensis. Leaves heart-shaped, oblong, 

 pointed, folded ; bractes whorled. This tree is sixty feet in 

 height, and has a light aromatic wood, and leaves longer in 

 proportion than the last species : it is rendered very conspi- 

 cuous by its very numerous grayish flowers. Native of 

 Guiana. The inhabitants use the kernels as a purgative. 



Herniaria; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Digy- 

 nia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Culix : perianth one-leafed, 

 five-parted, sharp, spreading, coloured within, permanent. 

 Corolla: none. Stamina: filamenta five, subulate, minute, 

 within the parts of the calix ; antherse simple; there are also 

 five barren filamenta, alternating with the segments of the calix. 

 Pistil: germen ovate; style scarcely any; stigmas two, acumi- 

 nate, the length of the style. Pericarp : capsule small, in the 

 bottom of the calix, covered, scarcely gaping. Seed: solitary, 

 ovate-acuminate, shining. ESSEVTIAJ. CHARACTER. Calix: 

 five-parted. Corolla : none. Stamina : five, barren, besides 

 the fertile ones. Capsule: one-seeded. The species are, 



1* Herniaria Glabra; Smooth Rupturewort. Herbaceous 

 and smooth. It is chiefly distinguished from the next spe- 

 cies by the smoothness of its habit : the stalks are trailing 

 and many, forming a little tuft, the length of the finger, or 

 at most six inches, round, with many alternate branches; 

 leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, something like those of Wild 

 Thyme, opposite, sessile or subsessile, smooth, bright green ; 

 flowers axillary, glomerate, sessile, six or eight together, at the 

 joints of the stem and branches. This plant was formerly in 

 some reputation, not only for curing ruptures, but the stone, 

 gravel, and dropsy; it was also given in disorders of the eyes, 

 but has now fallen into utter disuse. Withering and Pollich, 

 however, still aver that it increases the secretions by the 

 kidneys, and that the juice will remove specks from the eyes. 

 It is saltish and astringent, and, according to Krocker, is 

 agreeable to sheep. Mr. Miller remarks, that the herb-women 

 used commonly to bring the Parsley-Breakstone, or Aphanes 

 Arvensis, to market instead of this plant. It is common in 

 the sandy soils of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, 

 France, Italy, Carniola ; with us in England, at the Lizard 

 Point, Cornwall, flowering in July. 



2. Herniaria Hirsuta ; Hairy Rupturewort. Herbaceous 

 and hairy. The general opinion concerning this plant is, that 

 it is a mere variety of the former; but whether specifically 

 distinct or not, it is easily distinguished by the whole plant 

 being hairy. It flowers in July and August, and is a native 

 of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Carniola, and has been 

 found with us close to Colney Hatch, near Barnet. 



3. Herniaria Frnticosa ; Shrubby Rupturewort. Stems 

 shrubby; flowers four-cleft. This has stalks trailing on the 

 ground, with small hairy leaves like the second sort; the flow- 

 ers also bear a great resemblance to that. It is perennral, 

 and may be propagated by Cuttings. Native of Spain. 



4. Herniaria Alpina. Leaves obovate, acute, fringed at 

 the margin; flowers densely clustered, five-cleft, hairy; root 

 extremely long, and simple. Native of the hills Of Dau- 

 phiny. 



Hesperis; a genus of the class Tetradynamia, order Sili- 

 quosa. GENERIC CHARACTER, Calix : perianth four- 

 leaved ; leaflets lanceolate-linear, from parallel converging, 

 at top incumbent, at bottom gaping, deciduous: of these, 

 two opposite ones are gibbous at the base. Corolla : four- 

 petalled, cruciform ; petals oblong, the length of the calix, 

 a little bent back obliquely, contrary to the sun's apparent 

 motion, ending in attenuated claws, the length of the calix. 

 Stamina : filamenta six, subulate, the length Of the tube, 

 two of them shorter by half than the others ; antheree linear, 

 upright, reflex at the tip; an acuminate honied gland between 

 each shorter stamen and the germen, and surrounding the 

 stamen. Pistil: germen the length of the calix, prismatic, 

 four-cornered ; style none ; stigma two-parted, placed on the 

 inside, oblong, upright, forked at the base, converging at 

 the tip, withering. Pericarp : silique long, pressed flat, stiff, 

 and straight, two-celled, two-valved ; the valves of the same 

 length with the partitions. Seeds: very many, ovate, com- 

 pressed. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Petals : bent obliquely ; 

 a gland within the shorter stamina. Siliqua : stiff. Stigma: 

 with a forked base and converging tip. Calix : closed. 

 The species are, 



1. Hesperis Tristis ; Night-smelling Rocket. Stem hispid, 

 branched, spreading. The leaves of this sort are much lar- 

 ger than those of the Garden Rocket, and of a paler green, 

 the stalks are closely set with bristly hairs ; the flowers grow 

 in loose panicles at the top of the stalk, and appear about 

 the same time as the Garden Rocket. It is much cultivated 

 on the Continent, for the great fragrancy of its flowers in the 

 evening. The German ladies place pots of it in their apart- 

 ments ; whence it has obtained the name of Dame's Violet. 

 Native of the outskirts of woods and shrubby ditches, in 

 Germany, flowering rn May. It is propagated by seeds in 

 the same way as the Garden Rocket ; which see. It is not 

 quite so hardy, being very subject to rot in winter, especi- 

 ally in a moist soil or in rich land ; it should be planted 

 therefore in a dry poor soil and a warm.situation. If some 

 plants be set in pots, and placed under a common frame in 

 winter, it will be sure to preserve them. 



2. Hesperis Matronalis ; Garden Rocket. Stem simple, 

 upright; leaves ovate-lanceolate, toothletted ; petals emargi- 

 nate, with a point. It rises with an upright stalk a foot and 

 half high, with spear-shaped leaves, which sit close to the 

 stalk, and are slightly indented on their edges, ending in 

 acute points ; the flowers are produced in a loose thyrse on 

 the top of the stalks ; the petals are roundish, and indented 

 at the points, of a deep purple colour, and smell very sweet, 

 especially in the evening, or in cloudy weather. The Garden 

 Rocket with purple flowers was formerly more plentiful in 

 England, and has been neglected merely because the flowers 

 are single and make but little show, although their scent is so 

 grateful that they deserve a place in every good garden, This 

 grows naturally in Italy. There are several varieties of this 

 plant; one with white flowers, but having less scent; another 

 with double white flowers, mentioned by Johnson in 1633; and 

 a third called the Siberian Rocket, which is nearly the same 

 in all its parts with the common Garden Rocket. Mr. Ray 



