PLATE LXXXr. 



SOWERBIA JUNCEA 



Rujh-like Sowerbia, 



CLASS 



YL 



ORDER 



I 



/ 



HEXJNDRIA MONOGYNIJ. Six Chives. One Pointal 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Calyx, Involucrum hexapbyllum, multiflo- 

 rum; foliolis ereftis, fcariofisj perfiften- 

 tibus. 



Corolla. Petala fex, infera, perfiftentiaj laci- 

 niis ovalis, concavis. 



Stamina, Filamenta fex, fub-globofaj car- 

 nofa, germcn cingens) ex quibus tria bian- 

 therifera, flerilibus tribus interftiniStis^ 

 Antherse geminae, lineares, ereftae. 



PisTiLLUM. Germcn fuperum. Stylus filifor- 

 mis, longitudine ftamlnura. Stigma lira- 

 plcx. 



Pericarpium. Capfula obtufetrigona, oblonga^ 



trilocularis, trivalvis. 

 Semina plura, angulata. 



Empalement. Fence fix-leaved, containing 

 many flowers j the fmall leaves are upright^ 

 ikinny, and permanent. 



Blossom. Six petals, beneath and remaining} 

 fegments egg-lhape^ and concave. 



Chives. Six threads almoft round, flefliy, far- 

 rounding the feed bud ; of which three 

 bear two chives, each parted by three fte- 

 rile ones. Tips double, linear, and upright- 



Po 



tal. 



Seed-bud above. Shaft thread- 

 fliaped, the length of the chives. Summit 

 limple. 



Seed-vessel. Capfule bluntly three-iided, ob- 

 long, three-celled, three -valved. 



Seeds many, angular., . 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER 



Sowerbia, foliis tcretibus, mucronatis 3 fcapo 



nudo, flexuofo; umbella 

 bus petiolis longifllmis. 



flori- 



Sowerbia, with cylindrical leaves pointed at the 



flower-ftem naked and crooked; 



ends; 



the umbel globularj flowers with very long 

 foot-ftalks. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE 



w 



H 



1. The Fence. 



2. A BlolTom complete. 



3. The Chives expanded. 



4. The Pointal. 



The V 



mfli, led us. 



.-._, g,.^„. .v,.v,w.waaw^v. Liiia ^laiiL ucars lu naou^ to lome ipccics ot tne garlicK and mm, ica us, 



at^ firft fight, to confider it of one of thofe Genera : but as Dr. Smith has in the fourth Volume of the 

 Linn. Tranf. p. 220, conftituted it a new genus, from the conftruaion of the chives, we make 

 no fcruple to follow fuch good authority. It is named after Mr. James Sowerby, fo well known for 

 his numerous botanical engravings, as attached to different works j but efpecially, for his excellent 

 coloured plates of Englilh plants. Meffrs. Lee and Kennedy of Hammerfmith, were the firft, wha 

 railed this plant from feeds, received in 1792 from Botany Bay.' Our drawing was taken in May 

 1798, the firft time it flowered there j it is the full fize of the plant, the flower-ftem cut oft", it being 

 twice the length of the leaves. There is no fmell to any part of the plant ; but neverthelefs, it is 

 very defirable m Uie greenhoufe, from the charaaer of the flowers, which retain their colour with 

 little change, till the feeds are perfeded. To increafe it, the roots may be parted early in fprmg, 



and fliould be nlanted in neat pnrtJi 



