HE L 



H E M 



green flowers. It is a native of France, £cc. 

 flowering in March and April. 



The fourth has a small but bent root, with apro- 

 digious number of slender dark-coloured fibres : 

 the stem is from eighteen inches to near a yard in 

 height, towards the bottom round, strong, na- 

 ked, marked with alternate scars, the vestiges of 

 former leaves ; dividing and subdividing at top 

 into many branches, producing great abundance 

 of flowers pendent, of a pale yellowish colour : 

 the leaves composed of eight or nine long 

 narrow lobes, joined at their base, commonly 

 four on each side, united at the bottom, and 

 one in the middls of the foot-stalk, serrate, 

 and ending in acute points; those on the lower 

 part much larger than those on the upper, of a 

 deep green colour. It is a native of Italy, &c. 

 flowering from November or December to April. 



The fifth species resembles the third, but dif- 

 fers in having trifoliate leaves, broader and en- 

 tire, their surface being smoother, and the stalks 

 rise higher than either of the common sorts. 

 It flowers from January to May. 



Culture. — The first sort is increased by plant- 

 ing the off-sets from the roots after the leaves are 

 decayed, in the latter end of the summer season, in 

 the places where they are to flower, in patches of 

 several roots together. They have the best effect 

 when intermixed with the Snow-drop, as being 

 of similar growth, and flowering about the same 

 time. The off- sets may be separated from the 

 old plants every three or four years. 



The second sort is increased by parting the 

 roots in the autumn, and planting them out in 

 moist warm sheltered situations, in the borders 

 or other parts where the soil is fresh and un- 

 nianured. And to have it flower well, it should 

 be protected by glasses in the winter. Some 

 plants may be potted in this intention. 



The third and fourth sorts are raised by sow- 

 ing the seeds in the autumn or early spring, 

 either in the places where they are to grow, or 

 in beds for the purpose, afterwards thinning them 

 out to a few plants, or transplanting them into 

 other beds, at the distance of a foot in the rows. 



They rise well from self-sown seed, and succeed 

 in shady situations very well. 



The last sort is increased by seeds and parting 

 the roots. 



The well ripened seeds should be sown, or the 

 roots planted out, in the autumn, either in 

 pots of light fresh earth, or in warm protected 

 situations" in the borders. The plants should 

 afterwards be protected in the green-house, or 

 by hand-glasses in the winter. But they do not 

 increase fast in either of these ways. 



These are all ornamental plants ; the first sort 

 in the fronts of beds, borders, and clumps ; and 

 the third and fourth in the large borders and 

 wilderness parts of pleasure-grounds. The se- 



cond and last sorts produce a fine effect among 

 collections of potted plants. 



HELMET- FLOWER. See Aconitum: 



IIELONIAS, a genus containing plants of 

 the hardy herbaceous flowering perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Hexandria 

 Trigynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Coronarice. 



The characters are : that there is no calyx : 

 the corolla has six petals, oblong, equal, deci- 

 duous : the stamina have six subulate filaments, 

 a little longer than the corolla: anthers incum- 

 bent : the pistillum is a roundish germ, three- 

 cornered : styles three, short, reflex :• stigmas 

 blunt : the pericarpium is a roundish capsule, 

 three-celled : the seeds roundish. 



The species are : 1. H. lullata, Spear-leaved 

 Helonias ; 2. /-/. asphodtloidcs, Grass-leaved 

 Helonias. 



The first has a perennial root, composed of 

 many thick fleshy fibres : the leaves spreading 

 near the ground, 'and sitting close to the root-;it 

 their base, of a light green colour, having six 

 longitudinal nerves, which appear strongest on 

 the under side; they are four or five inches loni;-, 

 two or three broad in the middle, narrowing gra- 

 dually to both ends, and continuing green all 

 the year. In the centre of these springs up a 

 single erect stalk, a foot in height, having a few 

 vestiges of small leaves, ending in sharp points, 

 standing alternately close to the stalk : this is 

 terminated by a close obtuse spike of dark- red 

 flowers, with petals spreading open, flat: the fila- 

 ments are twice the length of these; and the 

 anthers are four-cornered, of a blue purple 

 colour. It is a native of America, flowering the 

 latter end of June (April and Mav). 



The second species has the stein extremely sim- 

 ple, two feet high : the leaves alternate or scat- 

 tered, upright, even, but rugged at the edge: the 

 flowers are white, in a simple, terminating ra- 

 ceme, on peduncles longer than the flowers. It 

 is a native of Pennsylvania, &c. flowering in May 

 and June. 



Culture. — These plants are increased by plant- 

 ing off-sets taken from the roots in autumn ; or 

 by sowing the seeds as soon as they are ripe, in 

 a light fresh soil : they are hardy enouo-h' to 

 thrive in the open air ; but must not be removed 

 oftener than once in three or four years. They 

 require the same length of time in comino- to 

 flower when raised from seed. 



These plants afford variety among others of 

 similar growth in the principal flower com- 

 partments. 



HEMEROCALLIS,agenus containing plants 

 of the herbaceous flowery perennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Hexandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Liliaccce. 



