A L Y 



A L Y 



whiter, they flower early the following sum- 

 mer, and produce good seeds. It grows naturally 

 in Hungary. 



The third is a low plant, the branches trailing 

 on the ground. The leaves and stalks are beset 

 with strong hairs; the flowers axillary, smaller 

 than those of the common sort, and have purplish 

 bottoms. The leaves are deeply cut into three 

 parts, and have long petioles. The stalks are 

 woody, but seldom last more than two years. 



In all the species and varieties the roots are of 

 the fibrous and perennial kind. 



Culture. — The propagation in the first species 

 may be effected with great facility, either by seeds 

 or parting the roots. In the first method, the 

 seeds should be sown in beds, or other situations 

 where the soil inclines to moisture ; as under 

 such circumstances the plants grow to a larger 

 size ; hut they will succeed in any kind of land. 

 The latter mode is best performed in the autum- 

 nal season, as soon as possible after the stems 

 decay ; the roots being set out in similar situa- 

 tions to those employed for the seeds. If a num- 

 ber of the plants be set out together, as the roots 

 spread much, they should not stand nearer than 

 two feet. 



The second species must be raised from seeds, 

 which should be sown in the spring. They should, 

 if possible, be sown in the situations where the 

 plants are to remain; but if that cannot be the 

 case, it is necessary that they be transplanted 

 while very young, in order to secure their perfect 

 growth. And that the plants ma) - survive the 

 severity of the winters in this climate, it is essen- 

 tial that they be set out in a dry soil and sheltered 

 situation. They endure the cold better when 

 planted in lime rubbish, or in soils that are of the 

 more stony kinds; but the plants are not so per- 

 fect in their growth. The plants of this species 

 seldom continue longer than two years in this 

 climate. They must therefore be renewed from 

 seed occasionally, which is easily done on ac- 

 count of its ripening well in this climate. 



The third species should likewise be propagated 

 by seed, which must be sown in the beginning 

 or April, upon light, rather moist earth, in the 

 situations where they are to remain ; as from the 

 roots of the plants shooting deep, they rarely suc- 

 ceed when transplanted, except it be performed 

 while they are very young, and when the season 

 is inclined to be moist. 



These plants, from the singularity of their 

 leaves, may be admitted in shrubbery and other 

 compartments of gardens and pleasure-grounds, 

 for the purpose of introducing variety among the 

 herbaceous plants. 



ALTH/EA Frulcx. See Hibiscus. 



ALYSSl M, a genus which comprises several 



species of under shrubby, herbaceous, peren- 

 nial plants of the Alysson or Madwort kind ; 

 that are chiefly flowery and ornamental. 



It belongs to the class and order Tetradynamia 

 Silicidosa, and ranks in the natural order of Sili- 

 quosce. 



The characters of which are : that the calyx is 

 a four-leaved, oblong perianthium, the leaflets 

 ovale, oblong, obtuse, convergent, and decidu- 

 ous : the corolla four-petalled and cruciform : the 

 petals flat, shorter than the calyx, very spreading, 

 having claws of the length of the calyx : the sta- 

 mina have six filaments of the length of the ca- 

 lyx, two opposite, a little shorter, marked with a 

 toothlet : antherae from erect spreading : the pis- 

 tillum has a sub-ovate germ, the style simple, of 

 the length of the stamina, longer than the germ, 

 and the stigma obtuse : the pericarpium is a sub- 

 globose, emarginate silicle, or broad and short 

 pod, withastyleof the length of the silicle, two- 

 celled, the partitions eliptic, and hemispherical; 

 the seeds are fixed to filiform receptacles issuing 

 forth at the end of the silicle, few and orbicular. 



There are many species, but those chiefly cul- 

 tivated are : l. A. spinosiim, Thorny or Prickly 

 Alvsson; 2. A. lialimifolium, Sweet or Sea Pur- 

 slane-leaved Alysson; 3. A. saxatile, Yellow 

 Rock Alysson; 4. A. incanum, Hoary Erect Alys- 

 son; 5..'. calycimim, Calvcine Alysson; 6. A. 

 campestre, Field Alysson ; 7. A. creticum t Cretan 

 Yellow Alysson; S.A.deltoidium, Deltoid-leaved 

 Alysson; o. A. montauum, Mountain Dark -yel- 

 low Alysson. 



The first species has woody branches, which 

 rise about two feet high, and are armed with 

 small spines. The leaves are hoarv, lanceolate, 

 and thinly placed on the stalks without any or- 

 der. The flowers grow in small clusters at the 

 extremities of the branches. The petals are 

 white and entire, and the filaments toothless. It 

 is a native of Italy. 



The second species spreads itself upon the 

 ground, and never rises to any height. The 

 leaves are narrow, spear-shaped, pointed, and en- 

 tire. At the extremities of its branches it pro- 

 duces very pretty tufts of small white-coloured 

 flowers, of which the plant is seldom destitute for 

 six or seven months together. In it the stamina 

 are simple, and the silicles roundish and entire. 

 It is a native of the southern countries of Europe. 



The third is also a low plant, with a fleshy stalk, 

 which seldom rises more than one foot high, 

 but divides into many smaller branches, which 

 grow near the ground, so that a single- plant 

 spreads to a considerable distance. The leaves are 

 spear-shaped, soft waved and entire : the flowers 

 produced Ln loose panicles at the extremity ol 

 every branch, and are of a bright yellow-eoiour. 



