AST 



the leaves at bottom are likewise very long, and 

 diminish upward, so as to form a sort or' pyra- 

 mid ; these are winged, and composed of many 

 large oval pairs of lobes, which are placed thinly 

 on the midrib, and terminated by an odd one: 

 the flowers come out in clusters from the wings 

 of each leaf, beginning near the root where the 

 foot-stalks are the longest, and continuing up- 

 wards, diminishing in number. They are large, 

 of a blight yellow colour, and are succeeded by 

 cylindrical pods opening in two cells, filled with 

 square yellow seeds. It flowers in July, and is 

 a native of the Levant. 



The third species has a perennial root: the 

 stems are many, upright, more than five feet in 

 height : the leaves have about fourteen pairs of 

 oval leaflets, terminated by an odd one : the 

 peduncles are axillary, on which are small yel- 

 low flowers, in loose spikes, extending beyond the 

 leaves. It (lowers in June and July, and is a 

 native of Siberia. 



The fourth has a large, woody, and branching 

 root: the stems are a foot long, leafy, branch- 

 ing, and hard: the leaves subhirsute, with from 

 seven to ten pairs of leaflets, and no odd one: 

 the bractcs large, yellow, ovate-lanceolate: the 

 flowers upright, at the lower part of the stem, 

 on peduncles, from five to eight, shorter than 

 the leaves: the calyx soft and villose, cylindrical, 

 with long capillary teeth: the corollas are long, 

 stiff, and of a pale violet colour: the banner long, 

 plaited, notched, with veins of deep purple: 

 the wings on a capillary peduncle, with a short 

 blunt hook: keel shorter, with short hooks, 

 and a bent pointed purple beak : the legume is 

 one-celled, with four seeds. It is a native of 

 the south of France, &c. 



There are varieties with oval lobed leaves; 

 with spear-shaped lobes; with spear-shaped, 

 pointed, downy lobes; with purple flowers; 

 with red flowers, &c. 



Besides these species, there are others in this 

 numerous genus that equally deserve cultivation. 



Culture. — These plants are mostly of hardy 

 growth, and capable of being raised with fa- 

 cility in almost any soil or situation. 



The first three species may be readily propa- 

 gated by sowing the seeds in the spring month's 

 in the places where they are to grow and flower: 

 some, however, raise the perennial kinds in a 

 bed of good earth, afterwards transplanting 

 them into the places where they are to remain ; 

 but tiie first practice is in general the best. 



The second species requires a rather warm 

 situation. The plants do not sometimes flower 

 before the third year when produced from seeds, 

 but in suitable soils they continue a great num- 

 ber of years. 

 a 



A T H 



The fourth species, as it rarely produces seeds in 

 this climate, is best produced by layers, cuttings 

 and slips, which should be set in pots of light 

 fresh earth, in April when the plants begin to 

 shoot, and then plunged into a moderate hot- 

 bed till the plants rise, occasional shade and 

 water being given, when they should be gra- 

 dually inured to the open air, to render them 

 hardy and prevent their drawing up weakly. 



When raised from seeds, they should be sown 

 in pots at the same time as in the other species, 

 being brought forward in moderate hot-beds, 

 and, when The plants are of proper sizes, trans- 

 planted into small pots, proper shade and water 

 being given till they are established. They re- 

 quire the protection of a frame or green-house 

 in the winter season; but a few may be planted 

 out in warm dry situations after they have been 

 two or three years in the pots. 



Some plants of the first species should be 

 raised annually, as thev frequently die after 

 flowering. 



In the fifth species the leaves are retained for 

 a considerable length of time, and when they 

 drop off the foot-stalks remain in the form 

 of sharp thorns for the protection of the plants. 



The first three kinds afford variety in the bor- 

 ders and other parts of ornamented grounds, and 

 the fourth may be occasionally employed in the 

 same way, in dry warm aspects, as well as in 

 assemblage with other potted plants, during the 

 summer 'season; but they mostly require pro- 

 tection in winter. 



ATAMASCO Lili/. See Amaryllis. 



ATHANASIA, a genus comprising various 

 plants, chiefly of the shrubby exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Sijngenesia 

 Polygamia Eqnalis, ranking in the natural order 

 of compound flowers, in the division Disco'idece. 



Its characters are: that the calyx is common 

 imbricate and ovate : the scales lanceolate and 

 pressed close: the corolla is compound uniform, 

 longer than the calyx; the corollules herma- 

 phrodite, equal, and numerous: proper funnel- 

 form; border five-cleft, acute and erectish: the 

 stamina consist of five capillary short fila- 

 ments: the anther cylindric and tubular: the 

 pistillum is an oblongish germ : the style filiform, 

 a little longer than the stamen: the stigma bifid 

 and obtuse. It has no pericarpium: the calyx 

 is unchanged : the seeds are solitary and ob- 

 long: the down chaffy, consisting of very short 

 bristles: the receptacle is chaffy: the chaff's lan- 

 ceolate and longer than the seed. 



There are many species, but the following 

 may be cultivated : ] . A. denlata, Tooth- 

 leaved Athanasia; 2. A. crithmifolia, Samphire- 

 leaved Athanasia; 3. A. antrifunata, Trifid 



