SEN 



S E R 



Tlie first sorts are ornamental on walls, build- 

 ings, and rock-works, as well as in pots ; and 

 the last two kinds among other potted green- 

 house plants. 



SENA. See Cassia. 



SENECIO, a genus containing plants of the 

 herbaceous, annual, and perennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Sj/7igenesia 

 Polt/gamia Superjlua, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Compositce Discoidece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is common 

 calycled, conical, truncate : scales awl-shaped, 

 very many, parallel in a cylinder contracted 

 above, contiguous, equal, fewer covering the 

 base imoricatewise, the tops mortised : the co- 

 rolla compound, higher than the calyx : corollets 

 hermaphrodite, tubular, numerous in the disk: 

 females ligulate in the ray, if any present : pro- 

 per in the hermaphrodites funnel-form : border 

 reflex, five-cleft: in the females, if any, ob- 

 long, obscurely three-toothed : the staniuia in 

 the hermaphrodites, filaments five, capillary, very 

 small: anther cylindric, tubular: the pislillum in 

 both: gerin ovate: style filiform, length of the 

 stamens: stigmas two, oblong, revolute : there is 

 no pericarpium : calyx conical, converging: the 

 seeds in tha hermaphrodites solitary, ovate: pap- 

 pus capillary, long ; in the females very like the 

 hermaphrodites: the receptacles naked, flat. 



The species cultivated are: 1. S. hieracifolivs, 

 Hieracium-leaved Groundsel j 2. S. Pseudo- 

 China, Chinese Groundsel; 3. S. hastatiis, 

 Spleenwort-leaved Groundsel -,4.8. elegans, Ele- 

 gant Groundsel, or Purple Jacobasa. 



The first is an annual plant, with a round, 

 channelled, hairy stalk, rising three feet high : 

 the flowers in a state of terminating umbel, 

 composed of dirty-white florets. It is a native 

 of North America, flowering in August. 



The second species has a perennial root, com- 

 posed of some thick fleshy tubers, sending out 

 many fibres on every side ; from which come out 

 some large cut leaves shaped like those of the 

 turnep, but smooth: the flower stalk slender, 

 afoot and half high, sustaining at the top a few 

 yellow flowers. It is a native of the East Indies. 



The third has a herbaceous perennial stalk, 

 branching out at the bottom, and rising about 

 two feel and a half high; having narrow leaves 

 at bottom, seven or eight inches long : the 

 upper leaves are smaller, and embracing ; they 

 are very clammy: the upper part of the stalk 

 divides into several very long peduncles, each 

 sustaining one yellow flower. It is a native of 

 the Cape, flowering most part of the sunmier. 



The fourth species is an annual pl?nt, having 

 many herbaceous branching stalks, near three 

 feet high: the flowers are produced in butichcs 

 on the top of the stalks ; are large, the ray of a 



beautiful purple colour, and the disk yellow. It 

 is a native of the Cape, flowering from June ot 

 Julv till the beginning of autumnal frosts. 



There are varieties with very double purple, 

 and with equally double white flowers. The 

 former is now chiefly cultivated. 



There are many other species that may be cul- 

 tivated for variety. 



Culture. — The first and two last sorts are 

 readily increased by planting cuttings of the 

 branches in pots filled with fine mould in the 

 summer season, shading them till they have 

 taken root; and, as the winter approaches, re- 

 moving them under the protection of the green- 

 house, where they should remain till May, when 

 they niay be planted out in the borders or clumps. 



They may likewise be raised from seed, which 

 should be sown in the spring in pots, and placed 

 in a gentle hot-bed. 



The second sort should he more carefully at- 

 tended, being raised from off-sets, which should 

 be planted in pots in the spring season, and 

 plunged in the hot-bed of the stove, where the 

 plants should be constantly kept. 



The first and two last sorts aflford variety in 

 borders, and among potted plants ; and the se- 

 cond in stove collections. 



SENGKEEN. See Saxifraga. 



SENNA. See Cassia. 



SENNA, BLADDER. See Colutea. 



SENNA, SCORPION. SeeEMERus. 



SENSITIVE PLANT. See Mimosa. 



SERRATULA, a genus containing plants of 

 the tall, hardy, herbaceous, perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Syngenesia 

 Polygamia Squalls, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Compositce Capitatce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is common 

 oblong, subcylindrical, imbricate, with lance- 

 olate, acute or obtuse, awnless scales : the co- 

 rolU compound tubulous, uniform : corollets 

 hermaphrodite, equal: proper one-petalled, 

 funnel-form: tube bent in; border ventricose, 

 five-cleft: the stamina have five capillary, very 

 short filaments : anther cylindrical, tuhulous : 

 the pistillum is an ovate germ: style filiform, 

 length of the stamens : stigmas two, oblong, 

 reflex : there is no pericarpium : calyx un- 

 changed : the seeds solitary, obovate : pappus 

 sessde, feathered : the receptacle chatty, flat. 



The species cultivated are: 1. S. Novehoraceri' 

 sis, Long-leaved Saw-wort; 2. S. prcealta. Tall 

 Saw-wort; 3. S. gLiiira, Glaucous-leaved Saw- 

 wort ; 4. S.squarrosa, Rough-headed Saw-wort ; 

 b. S. scariosa, Ragged-cupped Saw-wort; 6. S. 

 spicata. Spiked Saw-wort. 



The first has a perennial root: the stalks se- 

 veral, channelled, seven or eight feet high; the 

 leaves from four to five inches long, and one 



