C E L 



C E L 



from the variety of effect which is afforded by 

 their fine showy heads. 



CELSIA, a genus comprising a plant of the 

 perennial evergreen shrubby flowering exotic 

 kind. 



It belongs to the class and order D'thjrmmia 

 Angiospermia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Luridce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted perianthium : divisions lanceolate, obtuse, 

 the length of the corolla, and permanent: the 

 corolla is monopetalous, rotated ; tube extremely 

 short; border flat, half-five-cleft, unequal; di- 

 visions roundish, of which the two superior 

 ones are smaller, the inferior one larger : the 

 stamina consist of four capillary filaments, in- 

 clined towards the smallest divisions of the co- 

 rolla ; of which the two longer ones are shorter 

 than the corolla, and are outwardly woolly : the 

 anthers roundish, small: the pistillum is a 

 roundish germ: style filiform, length of the 

 stamens: stigma obtuse: the pericarpium is a 

 roundish capsule, compressed at the tip, acumi- 

 nate, sitting on the calyx, bilocular: the seeds 

 are very many, small, and angular : the recep- 

 tacles solitary and hemispherical. 



The species mostly cultivated is C. linearis, 

 Linear-leaved Celsia. 



It is an elegant, evergreen, smooth shrub : 

 the trunk is woody, but weak, the thickness of 

 a quill, striated, pale-brown, three feet high, 

 putting out numerous spreading branches its 

 whole length; the younger ones green, grooved, 

 and very leafy : the leaves growing three toge- 

 ther, lanceolate-linear, acute, thinly serrate, or 

 sometimes quite entire, shining on both sides, 

 subpetioled, spreading much, the largest two 

 inches long: peduncles axillary, solitary, one- 

 flowered, shorter than the leaves, and three to- 

 gether : the corolla brilliant scarlet, with a blood- 

 red throat. It is a native of Peru. 



Culture. — It may be raised either from seeds 

 or cuttings. In the first mode the seeds should 

 be sown in the spring months in pots of light 

 earth plunged in an ordinary hotbed. When 

 the plants are sufficiently large they should be 

 planted out singly in other pots. 



In the latter mode the cuttings made from the 

 young shoots should be planted in pots of rich 

 earth in the spring season, and plunged in the 

 bark hotbed, due shade and water being given 

 till they have stricken fresh root. It blossoms 

 best in a stove of moderate heat, but is capable 

 of succeeding in a good greenhouse, where it 

 affords variety in its leaves. 



CELTIS, a genus containing plants of the 

 hardy deciduous tree and shrub kinds. ThcLote, 

 or Nettle-tree. 



It belongs to the class and order Puhjgamia^ 

 Monoecia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Sculridte. 



The characters of which are: that the her- 

 maphrodite flowers are solitary superior: the 

 calyx is a one-leafed perianth, live-parted; divi- 

 sions ovate, patulous, and withering: there is no 

 corolla: the stamina consist of five very short 

 filaments, concealed at first by the anthers, but 

 after the shedding of the pollen growing longer: 

 anthers oblong, thickish, quadrangular, four- 

 furrowed : the pistillum is an ovate germ, acu- 

 minate, length of the calyx : styles two, spread- 

 ing, variously inflected, subulatej pubescent on 

 every side, very long: the stigmas are simple: 

 the pericarpium is a globular drupe, one-celled: 

 the seed a roundish nut. Male flowers on the 

 same plant inferior: the calyx is a six-parted 

 perianthium, the rest as in the hermaphrodites : 

 no corolla : the stamina six, the rest as in the 

 hermaphrodites. 



The species generally cultivated are: 1. C. 

 aus trails, European Black-fruited Nettle-tree ; 

 2. C. oecidentalis, American Purple-fruited 

 Nettle-tree; 3. C. orientalis, Oriental Yellow- 

 fruited Nettle-tree; 4. C. micrantha, Jamaica 

 Nettle-tree. 



The first in its native situation rises with an 

 upright stem to the height of forty or fifty feet, 

 with many slender branches, which have a 

 smooth dark-coloured bark spotted with gray : 

 the leaves are alternate, near four inches long, 

 and about two broad in the middle: the flowers 

 arc axillary all along the branches, coming out 

 in the spring at the same time with the leaves, 

 and generally decay before these arc arrived at 

 half their size. The fruit is the size of a pea or 

 small eherrv, and black. The wood is extremely 

 hard. It is native of the South of Europe. 



The second sort rises with a straight stem, 

 which in young trees is smooth and of a dark 

 colour; but as they advance it becomes rougher 

 and of a lighter green: the branches spread very 

 much: the leaves are alternate, on pretty long 

 foot-stalks, are a little pubescent; and when full 

 grown broad-ovate, acuminate at the point, and 

 quite entire, in the other parts serrate : the base 

 flowers come out opposite to the leaves upon 

 long peduncles. The fruit is smaller than that 

 of the first sort, and when ripe of a dark purple 

 colour. Though it comes out late in the spring 

 it is equally late in fading, the leaves continuing 

 in full verdure till within a few days of their 

 dropping oft". It is a native of North America, 

 flowering in May, and ripening seeds in Oc- 

 tober. 



The third species rises with a stem about ten 

 or twelve feet high, dividing into many branches. 



