P L U 



P L U 



than the calyx : border five-cleft, from crect- 

 sprcaciiii"', with ovate segments : nectary of 

 live very small acuminate valves iu the bot- 

 t(ini of the corolla, ir.closing the germ : the 

 stamina iiave live, awl-shaped filaments, free 

 within the tube of the corolla, placed on the 

 valves of the nectary : anthers small, oblong, 

 versatile : the pistillum is an ovate germ, very 

 small : style simple, the length of the tube : 

 stii'fma five-cleft, slender : the pericarpium is 

 an oblong capsule, five-cornered, terminated by 

 the permanent style, one-celled, five-valved, 

 clothed with the calyx : the seed single, oblong, 

 fastened to a thread, pendulous. 



The species cultivated are : 1. P. europcea, 

 European Leadwort; 2. P. zeijlanica, Ceylon 

 Leadwort ; 3. P. rosea, Rose-coloured Lead- 

 wort; 4. P. scandens, Climbing Leadwort. 



The first has a perennial root, striking deep 

 into the ground : the stalks many, slender, 

 three feet and a half high, and channelled : the 

 leaves three inches long and two broad, smooth, 

 entire, of a grayish colour. The upper part of 

 the stalks send out many slender side branches, 

 which have small leaves on them : these and 

 also the principal stalks are terminated by tufts 

 of either blue or white flowers, which are small 

 and succeeded by rough hairy seeds. It is a 

 native of the South of Europe and Africa, flow- 

 ering here in October. 



The second species is a perennial plant, with 

 a strong fibrous root, from which arise many 

 slender stalks, growing near four feet high : 

 the leaves about three inches long, and an inch 

 and half broad near their base, ending in acute 

 points ; they are alternate, and on short foot- 

 stalks : the upper part of the stalks divides into 

 small brandies, having smaller leaves on them, 

 and terminating in spikes of flowers : seeds co- 

 vered with the prickly calyx : the upper part of 

 the stalks and tiie calyx of the flowers are very 

 glutinous, sticking to the fingers, and entang- 

 ling small flies that settle on them. It is a na- 

 tive of the East Indies and of the Society Lies, 

 flowering from April to September. 



The third is a shrubby plant, u hich frequently 

 grows to the height of four or five feet, and is 

 perpetually putting forth flowering spikes ; these 

 continue a long time, and hence, with proper 

 management, may be kept in flower during 

 most part of the year. The calyx has capitate 

 glutinous hairs scattered over it : the filan)ents 

 are dilated at the base and arched : the capsule 

 superior, clothed with the permanent calyx, 

 ovate-oblong, ending in the subulate-setaceous 

 style, obscurely five-cornered : the seed oblong, 

 acuminate above, of a dark blood-red or ferru- 

 ginous colour, suspended by a filiform umbilical 



chord, springing from the base of the capsule. 

 It is,a native of the East Indies. 



The fourth species has a sufirutesccnt stem, 

 scandent, sometimes decumbent, loose, flexuose, 

 branched, round, striated, smooth : the leaves 

 are alternate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, nerv- 

 ed, spreading, entire, smooth on both sitics : 

 two smaller leaflets at the base of the middlcj 

 and two above it : the petioles very short, com- 

 pressed, channelled, half embracing, membra- 

 naceous at the edge, with a red spot at the base 

 underneath : the flowers terminating, subpa^ 

 niclcd, commonly in spikes, sessile, scattered, 

 approximating: the leaflets sessile under the 

 flowers ; the calyx inferior, bellying in the mid- 

 dle and towards the base, five-grooved, with 

 glanduliferous hairs: the border of the corolla 

 five-parted: parts roundish, emarginate, with a 

 verv short point in the middle : the nectariee 

 roundish, yellow, round the germ, inserted into 

 the bottom of the calyx : the filaments thicken- 

 ed, approximating, awl-shapcd ; anthers placed 

 on the top of the filaments, blue : style the 

 length of the stamens ; seed coated, as it were 

 included in a capsule, and covered with the per- 

 manent calyx. It is a native of South America 

 and Jamaica, flowering in July and August. 



Culture. — The first sort is increased bv part- 

 ing the roots in the autumn, when the stems de- 

 cay, and planting them in a dry soil. They 

 should afterwards be kept clean from weeds, and 

 have proper support. 



The three other sorts should be raised from 

 seeds, which should be sown in pots, in the 

 spring, and plunged in hot-beds. They likewise 

 may sometimes be raised by planting slips and 

 cuttings in pots, and plunging them in the 

 same sorts of hot-beds. 



These are all ornamental flowering plants ; 

 the first in the pleasure-grounds, and the others 

 in pots among hot-house collections. 



PLUMERI A, a genus containing plants of the 

 succulent flowering exotic kind, for the stove. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Monogijnia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 CnntortcB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted perianth, blunt, very small : the corolla 

 one-petalled, funnel-form: tube long, widening 

 gradually: border five-parted, from erect-spread- 

 ing; segnients ovate-oblong, oblique: the sta- 

 mina have five, awl-shaped filaments, from the 

 nnddle of the tube : anthers converging : the 

 pistillum is an oblong, bifid germ : styles scarcely 

 any : stigma double, acuminate : the peri- 

 carpium consists of two follicles, long, acumi- 

 nate, ventricose, bent downwards, nodding, 

 one-celled, one-yalvcd: the seeds numerous. 



