TAB 



TAB 



rTTABERN^ MONTANA, a genus cnntain- 

 _|^ ing plants of the woody exotic anil hanly 

 pereniiiMl kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Ventandria 

 Muriogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Conlortcp. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 cleft perianth, acute, converging, very small : 

 the corolla one-pctalled, funnel-form ; tube 

 cylindric, long ; border five-parted, flat ; seg- 

 ments obtuse, oblique : nectary glands five, 

 bifid, standing round the germ : die stamina 

 have five filaments, very small, from the middle 

 of the tube: anthers convergintr : the pistillum 

 has two simple germs ; style awl -shaped ; stig- 

 ma olilong, headed : the pericarpiuni has two 

 follicles, horizontally reflexed, ventricose, acu- 

 minate, one-celled, one-valved : the seeds nu- 

 merous, ovate-oblong, obtuse, wrinkled, im- 

 mersed in pulp, imbricate. 



The species cultivated are: \ . T. citrifolia. 

 Citron-leaved Tabernsemontana; 2. T. laurijolia, 

 Laurel -leaved Tabernasmontana; 3. T Amsonia, 

 Virginian Tabernagmontana; 4. T. angjistifoiia, 

 Narrow-leaved Tabernsemontana. 



The first rises with an upright woody stalk, to 

 the height of fifteen or sixteen feet, covered 

 with a smooth gray bark, abounding with a 

 milky juice, and sendmg out several branches 

 from the side, which grow erect, and have 

 many joints : the leaves are thick, milky, from 

 five to six inches long, and two inches broad in 

 the middle, drawing to a point at each end ; 

 they are of a lucid green, have many transverse 

 veins, and stand opposite on footstalks an inch 

 Jong : the flowers come out in roundish axil- 

 lary bunches; they are small, of a bright yellow 

 colour, and have an agreeable odour. It is a 

 native of Jamaica, Martinico, &c. 



The second species rises with a shrubby stalk 

 twelve or fourteen feet high, sending out a few 

 branches towards the top, which grow erect : 

 the leaves are four inches long and two broad, 

 of a lucid green colour: the flowers are pro- 

 duced in a sort of umbel from the side of the 

 branches; are small, yellow, and have an agree- 

 able odour. It is a native of Jamaica, St.TOo- 

 mingo, &c. 



The third is a perennial plant, sending up in 

 the spring two or three herbaceous stalks near 

 a foot high : the flowers are nroduced in small 

 terminating bunches, white and void of scent. 

 It is a native of North America, flowering in 

 May and June. 



The fourth species is a perennial plant, native 

 of North America, flowering in May and June. 



Cnllure. — These plants may be increased by 

 seeds, which n)ust be procured from the coun- 

 tries where the plants grow naturally, and be 

 sown early in the spring on a hot-bed ; and 

 w hen the plants are come up, and fit to remove, 

 be carefully planted out into small pots filled 

 with light rich earth, and then plunged into a 

 hot-bed of tanner's bark, being careful to shade 

 them in the heat of the day until they have 

 taken new root ; after which they should have 

 free air admitted to them every day when the 

 weather is warm ; but on cold nights have 

 the glasses of the hot-bed covered with mats 

 every evening, soon after the sun goes off from 

 the bed : they must be often refreshed with 

 water, but not in large quantities, especially 

 while they are young, as they are fu'l of a milky 

 juice, and are subject to rot with much moisture : 

 they may remain during the summer season in 

 the hot-bed, by stirring up the tan to renew the 

 heat when it wants, and a little new tan beina; 

 added ; but when the nights begin to be cold, 

 the plants should be removed, and plunged into 

 the bark-bed in the stove, where, during the 

 winter season, they must be kept in a moderate 

 degree of warmth, and in cold weather have but 

 little water given them : they should constantly 

 remain in the stove, where, in warm weather, 

 they may have free air admitted to them by 

 opening the glasses, but in cold weather be kept 

 warm. With this management they thrive and 

 produce flowers; and, as their leaves are always 

 green, make a pleasant diversity among other 

 tender exotic plants : they may be increased like- 

 wise by cuttings in the summer season, which 

 should be cut off from the old plants, and laid 

 to dry in the stove five or six days before they 

 are planted, that the wounded parts may heal over: 

 these should then be planted in pots filled with 

 fresh light earth, and plunged into the hot-bed 

 of tanner's bark, and closely covered with a, 

 hand-glass, shading them from the sun in the 

 middle of the day in hot weather, refreshing 

 them now and then with a little water : when 

 they have taken root, they may be planted out 

 into separate pots, and be treated in the same 

 manner as those raised from seeds. 



The third and fourth sorts are capable of living 

 in the open air here, provided they are planted 

 in a warm situation ; they love a light soil, rather 

 moist than otherwise; of course, when planted 

 in dry ground, they should be frequently watered 



