H I B 



II I B 



almost to the midrib; these jags are opposite, and 

 the segments are obtuse : the flowers come out 

 at the joints of the stalks upon pretty long pe- 

 el ancles ; the outer calyx is composed or ten 

 long narrow leaves, which join at their base ; 

 the inner is of one thin leaf, swollen like a blad- 

 der, cut into five acute segments at the top, 

 having several longitudinal purple ribs, and is 

 hairy; both these are permanent, and inclose 

 the capsule after the flower is past ; the flower 

 is composed of five obtuse petals, which spread 

 open at the top, and form an open bell-shaped 

 flower ; these have dark purple bottoms, but are 

 of a pale sulphur colour above, tinged sometimes 

 partially with pale purple on the outside, where 

 thev are also ribbed: the capsule is ovate, the 

 consistence of paper, pustuled with protube- 

 rances occasioned by the seeds, villose and 

 black. It is annual, growing naturally in Italy, 

 Sec. The flowers arc of short duration, in hot 

 weather continuing only a few hours open ; but 

 there is a succession of them daily for a consi- 

 derable time, in June, July, and August. It 

 has been long known by the title of Venice 

 Mallow. 



There are varieties with erect purplish stems, 

 and the flowers larger, and their colour deeper; 

 and with large paler-coloured flowers. 



The third, in its native situation, grows to the 

 size of an ordinary tree ; but here it is shrubby, 

 the stem round, erect, with alternate, spreading 

 branches, that are wand-like, leafy, brownish- 

 green, and nearly smooth : the leaves alternate, 

 spreading, unequally and coarsely serrate, entire 

 at the base, five-nerved, bright green, very 

 smooth, except the young ones, which are 

 slightly downy; their petioles are round, downy 

 on the upper side: the stipules in pairs, oppo- 

 site, at the base of the petioles, linear, acute, 

 deciduous : the flowers axillary, solitary, pe- 

 duncled, large, of a deep scarlet colour, re- 

 sembling a double rose. It is common in Chi- 

 na and the East Indies. It is rare with single 

 flowers. 



The fourth species has a pale stem, single, 

 smooth, spreading out wide into leafy branches 

 at top; the wood resembling that of the fig: 

 the leaves are the same size with those of the 

 vine, having the roughness of fig leaves, and the 

 form of both, or raiher of the angular leaves of 

 ivy ; whitish underneath : the petioles rough, 

 thick, three or four inches in length : the pe- 

 duncles thicker towards the top, sometimes 

 tinged with red, sustaining large handsome 

 flowers, which alter in their colour, as at their 

 first opening they arc white, then they change to 

 ablush rose-colour, and as they decav they turn 

 to a purple. Martyn remarks, that in the West 



Indies all their alterations happen the same day; 

 but that in England, where the flowers last near 

 a week in beauty, the changes are not so sud- 

 den. It is a native of the East Indies, &c. The 

 period of its blowing in the stoves of this climate 

 is November and December. 



It vanes with double flowers, from which the 

 single is frequently produced ; but the seeds of 

 the single seldom vary to the double kind. 



Culture. — The first sort is increased by seeds, 

 layers, and cuttings. 



The seeds should be procured from abroad, 

 and sown in pots filled with light earth in the 

 early spring months, plunging them in a gentle 

 hot-bed to bring them forward, or on a border 

 in a warm exposure. They should be watered 

 during the summer, and be protected from frost 

 in the winter. When they nave had two years' 

 growth, they may be set out in nursery rows, or 

 be planted where they are to remain. 



The layers should be laid down in the autumn, 

 the shoots being cut on the backs at one or two 

 joints, and well laid into the ground. They are 

 generally well rooted in twelve months, when 

 they may be taken off and removed to where 

 they are to remain. 



The cuttings of the young shoots should be 

 planted in pots of light earth in the early spring, 

 plunging them in a mild hot-bed ; or they may 

 be planted in a shady border in the summer 

 season. When well rooted, they should be 

 carefully taken up and planted where they are to 

 remain, either in the autumn or spring. 



The second sort is increased by sowing the 

 seed either in the autumn or spring, in the 

 places where the plants are to flower, in patches 

 of several seeds together. When they come 

 up, they should be thinned out to two or three 

 plants in each patch. 



The two last sorts may be increased by sowing 

 the seeds in the early spring months, in pots 

 filled with rich light mould, plunging them in a 

 moderate hot-bed under glasses, or, what is 

 better, in the bark-bed of the stove. When the 

 plants are up, and have attained two or three 

 inches in growth, they should be removed into 

 separate small pots, watering them well, and 

 replunging them in the hot-bed, where they 

 must be kept. 



They may likewise sometimes he raised by 

 planting cuttings of the young shoots in pots 

 of the same sort of earth, in the spring or 

 summer, giving them water, and plunging them 

 in the bark hot-bed. They should afterwards 

 be managed as the others. 



The two first hardy sorts are highly orna- 

 mental in the borders and clumps, among other 

 flowery plants; and the two last tender sorts 



