A L C 



A L C 



shaped, the length of the germ, and terminated 

 by a stigma from the angles of the style rounded 

 at the tip. It flowers in May. 



In the fifth the root-leaves are few, linear-fili- 

 form, upright at bottom, then spiral, and when 

 the plant is more mature, flexuose, villose-sca- 

 brous, shorter than the scape, which is simple, 

 filiform, flexuose, nodding at the top, streaked, 

 villose-scabrous, of a finger's length, seldom a 

 span long after flowering, one-flowered, seldom 

 two-flowered. The bractea lanceolate, acuminate, 

 shorter than the peduncle. There are three fila- 

 ments without antheroe. 



They are all natives of the Cape. 

 Culture. — The best method of propagating 

 these plants, is by means" of offsets from the 

 roots, which should be taken after the plants 

 have flowered in the summer months. These 

 are then to be planted out in pots filled with 

 good light mould, and placed under the protec- 

 tion of hot-bed frames during the winter season. 

 In this way they mostly succeed and produce 

 flowers. But it is a better practice, where the 

 convenience of a border can be had in the front 

 of the greenhouse or stove, to plant them in the 

 natural ground in these situations, as in this me- 

 thod they both thrive better, and flower with 

 more vigour than when kept in pots. 



The third sort -is asserted by Miller to be ca- 

 pable of being raised from seeds, when they can 

 be procured from abroad, as they seldom or ever 

 ripen any in this climate. 



The second species is also said to be of so har- 

 dy a nature, as sometimes to succeed when plant- 

 ed out on a border of light earth, in the open 

 ground. All the species are ornamental, and afford 

 variety in the greenhouse or stove. 



ALCEA, a genus including a great variety of 

 plants of the Hollyhock or Rose Mallow kind, 

 which are fibrous-rooted, hardy, herbaceous flow- 

 ering perennials of tall growth. 



It belongs to the class and order of Monadel- 

 phia Pohjandria, and ranks in the natural order 

 of Columniferce . 



Its characters are : that the calyx is double, 

 each one-leafed ; the outer cut half way into six 

 parts, permanent and very spreading ; the inner 

 cut half way into five parts, larger and perma- 

 nent : the corolla consists of five obcordate, 

 emarginate, spreading petals, coalescing at their 

 bases : the stamina are filaments uniting into a 

 sort of five-angled cylinder at bottom, loose at 

 top, and inserted into the corolla : the antherae 

 almost kidney-shaped .: the pistillum has a germ 

 orbiculate, style cylindric, short, stigmas about 

 twenty, setaceous, of the length of the style : the 

 pericarpium is composed of many jointed arils, 

 in a ring round a columnar flatted receptacle, 

 I 



parting and opening on the inside : the seed is 

 one, flat, kidney-shaped, in each aril. 



The species which are cultivated are ; 1 . A rosea, 

 Common Hollyhock; 2. AjpcifoUa, Fig-leaved 

 or Palmated Hollyhock; 3. A. Africana, Afri- 

 can Hollyhock. 



In the first species the stem rises to a consi- 

 derable height, as seven or eight feet, and has 

 roundish leaves which are cut at their extremities 

 into angles. It grows naturally in China, from 

 whence the seeds are often procured. On this 

 account it is sometimes known by the title of 

 Chinese Hollyhock. The differences in the co- 

 lours of the flowers, as well as their being single 

 or double, are accidental, arising chiefly horn 

 cultivation. 



There are many varieties of the Hollyhock : as 

 those with white flowers, — with cream-coloured 

 flowers, — with flesh-coloured flowers, — with pale 

 red-coloured flowers, — with deep red-coloured 

 flowers, — with blackish red flowers, — with pur- 

 ple-coloured flowers, — with pale vellow-coloured 

 flowers, — with deep yellow-coloured flowers, — 

 with variegated flowers. 



In the second species the stem likewise rises 

 much in height, as live or six feet or more, and 

 the leaves are deeply cut into six or seven seg- 

 ments, being palmated or having the resemblance 

 of a hand. It is also, probably, a native of the 

 East, and has been brought from Istria. 



There are several varieties with different co- 

 lours, as in the former species : and a dwarf vari- 

 ety, with double, variegated flowers, has lately 

 been in much esteem under the title of Chinese 

 Hollyhock. 



The third species has the stem suffruticose, 

 four feet in height, upright, branched, and his- 

 pid. The leaves rough, alternate, petioled. The 



flowers of a scarlet colour, lateral, 



on a solitary. 



long, one-flowered peduncle. The pistil five- 

 styled. The arils five, and smooth. It is a native 

 of the eastern shore of Africa. 



Culture. — The propagation of these plants is 

 effected by seed in an easy manner. But in or- 

 der to have them double, and of the best colours, 

 as their varieties are by no means constant, the 

 seed should always be selected from the best co- 

 loured and most double flowers, as in this mode 

 most of the plants will produce flowers of the 

 same kind, both in colour and fullness, if all 

 such plants as afford only single or bad-coloured 

 flowers have been carefully extirpated, and thus 

 prevented from disseminating their farina, and 

 causing them to degenerate. The seeds thus ob- 

 tained should be preserved in their covers quite 

 dry, in order to prevent their being injured by 

 becoming mouldy, until the spring. They should 

 then be sown upon a bed of good light earth 



