WAT 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



WAT 



797 



they last the longer. Inclined planes also are absolutely 

 necessary ; and to form them between straight and parallel 

 lines, the land must be dug away where too high, and moved 

 to those places where it is too low, to form an even surface. 

 The new-made ground will naturally settle in hollows pro- 

 portioned to the depth of the loose matter which has been 

 lately put together, but such settlement will not take place 

 vntil the new ground has been soaked and dried again : 

 hence these defects cannot be removed before the second or 

 third year of watering ; it will therefore be more difficult, and 

 require more skill and attention, during the first few years, 

 than at any time afterwards. But however simple the system 

 of watering may appear at first sight, those who enter into 

 the practice, will h'nd it no easy task to give an irregular 

 surface that regular yet various form which is necessary. 

 It is therefore requisite that the designer should have just 

 notions of lines, levels, and angles, as the knowledge of 

 superficial forms will not be sufficient. Accurate knowledge 

 of solid geometry is indispensable, to prepare the land for 

 effectual irrigation. 



Water Leaf. See Hydrophyllum. 



Water Lemon. See Passiflora. 



Water Lily. See Nymphaa. 



Water Melon. See Cucurbita Citrullut. 



Water Milfoil. See Myriophyllum. 



Water Mint. See Mentha. 



Water Parsnep. See Sirnn. 



Water Pepper. See Polygonum Nydropiper. 



Water Pimpernel. See Samolus. 



Water Plantain. See Alisma. 



Water Purslane. See Peplis. 



Water Radish. See Sisymbrium. 



Water Racket. See Sisymbrium Sylvestre. 



Water Soldier. See Stratiotes. 



Water Speedwell. See Veronica. 



Water Violet. See Hottonia. 



Walsonia ; a genus of the class Triandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : spatha inferior, 

 shorter than the corolla, of two oblong, close-pressed, per- 

 manent valves. Corolla : of one petal, superior ; tube cylin- 

 drical throughout, somewhat enlarged, but not spreading, in 

 the elongated throat, curved ; border nearly regular, in six 

 deep, flat, spreading, almost equal segments. Stamina: 

 filamenta three, inserted into the tube at the origin of the 

 throat, thread-shaped, ascending, shorter than the corolla ; 

 antherse oblong, somewhat parallel, incumbent. Pistil: ger- 

 men inferior, oblong, furrowed ; style thread-shaped, longer 

 than the stamina; stigmas three, slender, deeply cloven, 

 spreading, recurved. Pericarp: capsule oblong, bluntly 

 triangular, cartilaginous, of three cells and three valves. 

 Seeds: numerous, imbricated downwards, angular in their 

 lower part, dilated into more or less of a wing at the upper 

 end. Observe. This genus differs from Gladiolus in having 

 an almost regular corolla, with a cylindrical throat; narrow, 

 divided, not dilated, stigmas ; and angular, scarcely winged 

 seeds. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Spatha: of two valves. 

 Corolla : tubular, with a cylindrical throat ; its border in six 

 deep, nearly equal segments. Stigmas : three, thread-shaped, 

 deeply cloven, the segments recurved. Capsule : cartilagi- 

 nous. Seeds : numerous, angular. The species are, 



1. Watsonia Spicata; Holloiv- leaved Watsonia. Leaves 

 cylindrical, hollow ; they are alternate, and very remarkable 

 for their cylindrical inflated form, gradually swelling up- 

 wards, obtuse, with a small point, their surface very smooth, 

 their base sheathing. The bulb is small, round, with a 

 ibrous coat ; ten leafy, from eight to twelve inches high ; 



flowers either of a light blue or pale purple colour, very 

 numerous, closely imbricated in a two-ranked tapering spike, 

 with reddish crenate sheaths ; corollas regular, expanding 

 more than half an inch. Found at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 flowering there in January, but here in May. 



2. Watsonia Plantaginea ; Plantain- spiked Watsonia. 

 Upper leaves linear-sword-shaped, many-ribbed, lowermost 

 hollow, compressed ; flowers imbricated in two rows; they 

 are either blue or white, very numerous, scentless, forming a 

 dense two-ranked spike, two or three of which are some- 

 times found on each stem. It differs essentially from the 

 first species in the sword-shaped form of its foliage. Found 

 at the Cape of Good Hope, in the high-ways, and often near 

 Cape Town. 



3. Watsonia Punctata ; Dotted-flowered Watsonia. Leaves 

 linear-awl-shaped, compressed, few, alternate, spreading in 

 two directions ; spike about three-flowered ; bulb roundish, 

 depressed ; stem leafy, slender, about a foot high ; flowers 

 agreeing in size and disposition with those of Ixia Maculata, 

 about three in number, of a fine purple, scentless, marked 

 with dotted or beaded veins ; their segments regular, ellip- 

 tical, longer than the tube, three of them rather smaller than 

 the rest; stigmas six, strap-shaped, obtuse, revolute, downy. 

 Found at the Cape of Good Hope. 



4. Watsonia Marginata ; Broad Bordered-leaved Watsonia. 

 Leaves sword-shaped, with thick callous edges ; spike some- 

 what compound ; mouth of the corolla with six teeth. The 

 great size of the plant, its thick-edged leaves, and the copious 

 rose-coloured flowers, smelling like Hawthorn or Heliotrope, 

 render this one of the most desirable and striking of the 

 Cape bulbs. The corolla is regular, with a tube about equal 

 to its border, having a short cylindrical throat ; stigmas long, 

 each in two divaricated revolute segments. This abounds 

 about the Cape of Good Hope, on the Table Mountain, and 

 other elevated ground, flowering from October to December, 

 often in such profusion as to cover the hills as it were with 

 a rose-coloured carpet. It blossoms freely in our green- 

 houses from June to August, especially when planted in deep 

 pots, and increases rapidly. 



5. Watsonia Rosea ; Pyramidal-spiked Watsonia. Leave* 

 sword-shaped, thickened at the edges; spike compound; 

 mouth of the corolla naked. This is one of the largest of its 

 tribe, being sometimes four feet high : it has been mistaken 

 for a variety of the last, but it is a larger and more stately 

 plant; and 'its flowers are even of a more beautiful rose- 

 colour: the corolla also wants the six marginal teeth round 

 the mouth, which essentially distinguish that of the preced- 

 ing species. Native of the Cape. 



6. Watsonia "Brevifolia; Short-leaved Watsonia. Leaves 

 ovate-sword-shaped, equitant, very short ; they are about 

 four, almost perfectly radical, remarkable for being only two 

 or three inches long, though near an inch wide, their edges 

 cartilaginous, though very narrow. The tube, throat, and 

 border of the corolla, are equal in length ; mouth naked ; 

 stem twelve or eighteen inches high ; spike long, erect, sim- 

 ple, or sometimes branched, but not composed of little spike- 

 lets ; flowers of a tawny red, about the size of those of the 

 fourth species ; they are scentless, but more durable than 

 some of their congeners. Native of the Cape. 



7. Watsonia Iridifolia; Flax-leaved Watsonia. Throat of 

 the corolla curved, longer than the tube, and rather longer 

 than the acute border; leaves sword-shaped, erect, with a 

 prominent midrib ; they are long, both in this and its splendid 

 scarlet-flowered variety, the spathes of which are not much 

 above half the length of the slender tube, which is about 

 two-third* as long as the greatly-extended, cylindrical, curved, 



