338 JS*otices of ntio and beautiful Plants, 



used." It appeared that they had been raised in the open 

 ground, in a strong alluvial soil, and had all their strong thick 

 woody roots docked short off, to fit a small pot, for the conveni- 

 ence of carriage. Undoubtedly most of the plants which are im- 

 ported are in no better condition than these; and this is sufficient 

 to ensure the death of almost any plant during a voyage of three 

 or four months. The plants are, for the most part, thrown away 

 by the Chinese when they have blossomed once, as it is not be- 

 lieved they will flower again. At the time they flower, the offi- 

 cers of the East India Company are absent at Macao, to which 

 place they generally resort after the sailing of the ships, so that 

 they have no opportunity to see the plants themselves when in 

 bloom, but rely upon the native residents at Canton. This cir- 

 cumstance accounts for the uncertainty which exists in regard to 

 the number of the varieties, and the dissimilarity in color of the 

 flowers. 



The best account of the Pxonia JMoutan which has been pub- 

 lished, was by the late Mr. George Anderson, in the Transac- 

 tions of the Linnman Society. In that paper, which forms part 

 of a monagraph of the tribe, written in the year 1817, he adopted 

 the single-flowered plant as the type of the species, and the two 

 others then known and described as species, he considered as 

 only varieties. In this he was some time afterwards (1824) fol- 

 lowed by DeCandolle, who adopted his order of the plants; and 

 subsequent writers have concurred with this method. The spe- 

 cific name, Moutan, w^as first given by Dr. Sims, in 1808. It 

 was called by one or two writers, P. arborea; but the former 

 name is now established, and we only occasionally see the latter 

 applied in catalogues or minor works on gardening. 



(To be continued.) 



Art. VII. JVotices of neio and beautiful Plants figured in the 

 London Floricultural and Botanical Magazines ; with some 

 Jiccount of those which it would be desirable to introduce into 

 our Gardens. 



Edwards''s Botanical Register, or Ornamental Flower Garden and 

 Shrubbery. Each number containing eight figures of Plants and 

 Shrubs, In monthly numbers ; 4s. colored, 3s. plain. Edited by 

 John Lindlcy, Ph. D., F. R. S., L. S., and G. S., Professor of Botany 

 in the University of London. 



