M E S 



M E S 



>hetop,andofaye]lo\vishbaycoloiirjbutqiiadian- 

 gularat the bottom : 'the leaves tender, niucronate, 

 curved inwards, in bundles, acutely triangular, 

 deep green and glaucous, having small dots and 

 tubercles : the flowers are several, terminating, 

 middle-sized, with scarcely any odour, on slen- 

 der oblong peduncles : the calycine segments 

 sometimes hooked, sometimes not : the petals 

 very many, lying one over the other; the outer 

 larger, bifid or tritid at the end ; the inner ones 

 gradually smaller, entire, but not tilamcntose : 

 they are of a most vivid violet purple colour, 

 but the flowers expand only about noon, when 

 the sun is very hot : the flowers continue long, 

 nnd open several times it' the sun shines hot. 

 It is a native of the Cape, flowering from June 

 to August. 



The forly-first species is from a foot and half 

 to two feet in height : the stem not very shrubby, 

 nor very thick : the branches woody, the thick- 

 ness cf a straw, procumbent, round, covered 

 with an ash-coloured bark : the upper shoots of 

 a. vellowish bay colour, becoming pale herba- 

 ceous; they are broadish inmicdiately under the 

 flowers, thence gradually more slender, slightly 

 compressed, and wmged on each side with a 

 process from the back of the leaves : the leaves 

 difibrm ; those which are fastened to the pedun- 

 cles (bractes) short and thick, the others longer 

 and not so thick, with other smaller leaves from 

 the axils ; all uncinate, subglaucous, rugged 

 with frequent tubercles of the same colour, 



to the open air, and afterwards be turned out of 

 the pots, and planted with balls of earth about 

 them in a warm border, where they often thrive 

 and spread, but are not very productive of flowers 

 in this way. Some must also be continued in 

 pots, and removed to the shelves of the stove, 

 where they flower more plentifully. 



The culture which they afterwards require, is, 

 for those in the pots to have frequent slight 

 waterings in dry weather, and the others kept 

 clean, and their branches permitted to spread 

 upon the surface of the ground. 



All the perennial sorts may be easily increas- 

 ed bv cuttings planted during the summer 

 months. Those having shrubby stalks and 

 branelies, readily take root when planted out 

 in beds or in pots of light sandy soil, covered 

 with mats or glasses : in the latter case, being 

 shaded when the sun is warm. The cuttings of 

 these sorts need not be cut from the plant more 

 than five or six days before they are planted, 

 during which time they should be laid in a dry 

 room, not too much exposed to the sun, that 

 theparts which w ere separated from the old plants 

 may he.il over and dry, otherwise they are apt 

 to rot. They mav then be planted at about three 

 inches distance from each other, the earth being 

 pressed very close to them, and none of their 

 leaves buried in the ground, as from their 

 abounding with moisture, when they are covered 

 with the earth it is apt to cause them to rot, 

 which often destroys the cuttings. When they 



which when held up to the light appear to be are taken from the old plants, they should there- 



so many porous dots: the flowers are on peduncles fore be divested of their lower leaves, so as to 



from an inch to two inches in length, alternately allow a naked stalk of suflicient length for 



axillary, small, pale purple, petals'twisted about, being planted in the earth. 



narrower towards the base, broader towards the Those in pots may be plunged in a hot-bed, 

 end, entire, in a single row, smellino like those or in a warm border, due shade and shelter be- 

 ef the Hawthorn, open both day and night, for ing given, and slight waterings in dry weather. 

 a long time, and in great abundance, there be- When they have stricken good roots, they should 

 ing a succession of them from July to October, be removed with balls of earth into other separate 

 It is native of the Cape. small pots of light sandy mould, being placed 



Cidiure.— The annual and biennial sorts may in a shady situation, a very slight watering being 



be increased by sowing the seeds in the early given to settle the earth about them. After they 



spring months, on a fresb hot-bed, covered become well rooted, they may be removed, so as 



with sandv earth, or in pots of fine sandy to have more sun ; when they may be kept till 



mould. ' autumn, being watered very slightly twice a 



When the plants have attained a few inches week in summer and once afterwards, care be- 

 in growth, they should be planted on fresh ing taken to prevent their roots shooting through 

 hot-beds, or in pots plunged in them, to bring the pots, by shifting thent two or three times 

 ihem forward; and when They have taken root, in the summer, to pare them oft. 

 they should have very little water: when large In the autumn and winter they should be 

 enough, eaehshouldbeplantcdinasmallpot, filled protected in the green-house, 

 wiihhght freshearth, butnot rich, plunging tlicni The cuttings of the more succulent sorts 

 into a hot-bed of tan, shading them in the heat of should be left to heal over a much longer time, 

 the dav unlil ihcy have taken new root, when they being a little freed from leaves, and covered 

 ahouki have plenty of fresh air. About the begin- with glasses to prevent the wet. They should 

 jungof summer some of the plants may be inured have less water, and be removed less fre- 



V^OL. II. ^ Q 



