756 



I PO 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



IPO 



der, twining, and rising by support to the height of seven or 

 eight feet, sending out several side-branches, which twine 

 about each other and the principal stem, and about any neigh- 

 bouring plants. The leaves are composed of several pairs of 

 very fine narrow lobes, not thicker than sewing-thread, an 

 inch long, of a deep green. The flowers come out singly from 

 the side of the stalks, on slender peduncles about an inch 

 long: the tube of the corolla is about the same length, narrow 

 at bottom, but gradually widening to the top, where it spreads 

 open, flat, with five angles ; it is of a most beautiful scarlet- 

 colour, making a fine appearance. Browne says, it is culti- 

 vated in many of the gardens of Jamaica, on account of its 

 elegant flowers, and minutely dissected thick foliage. He 

 calls it American Jessamine, and says it seldom rises above 

 four feet from the ground. It is called Sweet William and 

 Indian Pink in the West Indies. The flowers appear in 

 July and August, and continue in succession great part of 

 September. Annual. Native of the East Indies. It is pro- 

 pagated by seeds sown on a hot-bed (for it will not endure 

 the open air of England) in the spring; and as the plants will 

 soon appear, they should be each transplanted into a small 

 pot filled with light earth, before they twine about each other, 

 for then it will be difficult to disengage them without break- 

 ing their tops. When they are potted, they should be 

 plunged into a new hot-bed, and sticks placed down by each 

 plant for their stalks to twine about ; after they have taken 

 new root, they should have a good share of air in warm 

 weather, to prevent their drawing up weak ; and when they 

 are advanced too high to remain under the frame, they should 

 be removed into the tan-bed in the stove, where they should 

 bave support, for their branches will extend to a considerable 

 height. They begin to flower in June, and the seed will ripen 

 very well in autumn. 



2. Ipomcea Rubra; Upright Ipomcea. Leaves pinnatifid, 

 linear ; flowers in racemes, pendulous. The young plants 

 in the first year produce numerous leaves, spreading in a cir- 

 cle, elegantly jagged ; from the centre of these, the second 

 year, arises a straight stem, the thickness of a straw, about 

 three-quarters of a yard in height, clothed from top to bottom 

 with leaves ; flowers from the top of the stem and the ends 

 of the side-branchlets, peduncled, pendulous, usually solitary, 

 but forming all together a thyrse ; corolla of a bright red 

 colour, darker on the outside, within paler, and variegated 

 with white spots and purple streaks. Native of Carolina, in 

 low sandy places, flowering in June. 



3. Ipomcea Umbellata ; Umbelled Ipomoea. Leaves digi- 

 tate, in sevens; peduncles umbelled, very short. Flowers 

 abundant. Native of South America. 



4. Ipomoea Carolina ; Carolina Ipomcea. Leaves digitate ; 

 leaflets petioled ; peduncles one-flowered. Stem slender, trail- 

 ing; outside of the corolla light green, inside purple. Found 

 upon rocks in many of the Bahama Islands. 



5. Ipomoea Coccinea; Scarlet-flowered Ipomcea. Leaves 

 cordate, acuminate, angular at the base; peduncles many- 

 flowered. Stem herbaceous, twining, quadrangular, smooth, 

 rlexuose ; flowers long, scarlet, longer than those of the first 

 sort. Browne observes, that it is remarkable for die curved 

 or arched figure of the tube in the corollas. It is an annual 

 plant, six or eight feet high : the corolla is not so deeply 

 coloured as that of the first sort; and there is a variety with 

 orange-coloured flowers. This, as well as the seventh species, 

 is propagated by seeds sown ou a hot-bed in the spring, and 

 when the plants come up, if they are gradually hardened, and 

 afterwards transplanted into a warm border, in favourable 

 seasons they will flower, and produce good seeds. 



6. Ipomcea Lacunosa; Starry Ipomosa. Leaves cordate, 



acuminate, scrobiculate, angular at the base; peduncles one 

 or two flowered, shorter than the flower. Stem from a foot 

 to two feet in height, slightly angular, procumbent unless 

 supported, and then climbing; flowers usually solitary, but 

 sometimes two on a peduncle, small, white, the edges slightly 

 tinged with purple: it flowers herein July. Annual. Native 

 of Virginia and Carolina. 



7. Ipomoea Solanifolia; Nig Iitshade- leaved Ipomoea. Leaves 

 cordate, acute, quite entire; flowers solitary, of a rose colour. 

 Native of America. 



8. Ipomoea Tuberosa; Tuberous-rooted Ipomosa. Leaves 

 palmate ; lobes in sevens, lanceolate, acute, quite entire ; 

 peduncles three-flowered. Root tuberous; stems several, 

 shrubby, twining, woody at bottom, and the thickness of 

 the human thumb ; flowers yellow : Miller says, bright yel- 

 low, Linneus, sulphur-coloured, and Loureiro, purple. It 

 is handsome, two inches in diameter, smelling sweet; capsule 

 membrauaceous, shining, subpellucid, square with blunted 

 angles, large, two-celled ; in each cell two black villose 

 seeds, among the largest of the genus. This plant is 

 wonderfully beautiful when in flower, and the very fragrant 

 odour of the flowers gives it an additional value. It is much 

 used in the West Indies for arbours, for which it is very fit, 

 on account of the multitude of its branches and evergreen 

 leaves, which the sun cannot penetrate; it spreads to such 

 an extent, that it may be carried over an arbour of three 

 hundred feet in length, from one root. Every part of 

 the plant is purgative, and abounds with milk. Scammony 

 might probably be made from the milky juice of the root. 

 Loureiro asserts, that the tubes are eatable, like Convolvulus 

 Batatas, which they very much resemble in taste, size, and 

 shape. Native of the West Indies. The natives call it 

 Seven-year Vine, or Spanish Arbour-Vine. It is a perennial 

 plant, but too tender to thrive in the open air of our climate. 

 The seeds must be sown upon a hot-bed in the spring ; and 

 when the plants come up, be transplanted into separate pots, 

 and plunged into a fresh hot-bed; but as they will soon grow 

 too tall to stand under a frame, they should be removed into 

 the bark-stove, where they must be supported, to prevent 

 them from twining about the surrounding plants. As they 

 extend their shoots to a very great length, they require a tall 

 stove, without which they will never produce flowers. 



9. Ipomoea Digitata; Hand-leaved Ipomosa. Leaves pal- 

 mate ; lobes in sevens, blunt ; peduncles three-flowered ; 

 flowers purple; seeds brown. Native of the W r est Indies. 

 This, with the twentieth and twenty-third species, must also 

 be raised on a hot-bed, in the spring, and afterwards planted 

 in separate pots, plunging them into another hot-bed, where 

 they may remain till they reach the glasses, when they should 

 be removed into a glass-case, where they may have room, and 

 be screened from the cold, but should hav6 a large share of 

 free air admitted to them in warm weather : tlius treated, the 

 plants will flower, and produce ripe seeds. 



10. Ipomoea Bona Nox ; Prickly Ipomosa. Leaves cor- 

 date, acute, quite entire ; stem prickly ; flowers in threes ; 

 corollas undivided. This is an annual plant, growing to a 

 very great length, covering sometimes many trees, or the 

 banks of rivers for many paces, having a round and reddish 

 stalk, armed with blunt, herbaceous, short, variously-shaped 

 prickles, and winding itself about any tiling that comes within 

 its reach, or creeping along the surface of the ground. The 

 flowers are axillary, many, on peduncles an inch long; tube 

 of the corolla seldom less than from three to four inches in 

 length; border white, five inches in diameter, a little sinuated, 

 and ha* five green streaks on the outside. It flowers here, iu 

 July and August. Native of the West Indies. 



