PLATE XXX. 



VACCINIUM ARCTOSTAPHYLLUS. 



Madeira Whortlc -berry. 



CLASS VIII. ORDER I. 

 OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Eight Chives. One Pointal. 



GENERIC 

 Calyx. Perianthium minimum, fuperum, per- 



fiftens. 

 Corolla. Monopetala, campanulata, quadri- 



fida; laciniis revolutis. 

 Stamina. Filamenta ofto, fimplicia. Antherae 



bicornes, dorlb arirlis duabus patentibus 



inflruc-foe, apice dehifeentes. 

 Pistillum. Germen inferum. Stylus (implex, 



(laminibus longior. Stigma obtufum. 

 Pericarpium. Bacca globola, umbilicata, qua- 



drilocularis. 

 Semina pauca, parva. 



SPECIFIC 

 Vaccinium, floribus racemofis; foliis crenulatis, 

 ovatis, acutis; caule arboreo. 



CHARACTER. 



Emfalement. Cup very fmall, above, and per- 

 manent. 



Blossom. One petal, bell-fliaped, four-cleft; 

 fegments rolled back. 



Chives. Eight threads, (imple. Tips with two 

 horns, and furnifhed with two fpreading 

 awns at the back, opening at the points. 



Pointal. Seed-bud beneath. Shaft (imple, 

 longer than the chives. Summit blunt. 



Seed-vessel. A globular berry, with a hollow 

 dimple, and four cells. 



Seeds few, and fmall. 



CHARACTER. 



\Yhortle-berry,with flowers growing in bunches; 

 leaves (lightly fcollopped, egg-fhaped, and 

 pointed; ftem woody. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Empalement, Pointal, and Chives; the blolfom removed. 



2. A Chive (magnified). 



3. The Shaft, and its Summit (magnified). 



4. A ripe Berry (natural (ize). 



Numerous are the difficulties which occur in arranging plants according to any yet invented fyltem; 

 and although the fexual fails in the fewefl inftances, yet that is fometimes the cafe. The plant before 

 us, although in habit, fruit, ice. feemingly perfectly allied to Vaccinium, and, from which characters, 

 it has been placed under that genus, yet we doubt whether if Linnaeus had examined the flower him- 

 felf, (as he has accepted it under the name it here bears, and we have no doubt of its being the plant 

 intended;) he would not have clalled it in Oetandria; for certainly it has in every inftance ten chives, 

 ■with the border of the blolfom of five fegments; the threads attached to the blolfom. But, as it is 

 the profeffed intention of this work as little as pofiible to confufe, by the introduction of new names 

 for plants already known by eftablillied, and generally accepted ones; though erroneous from incor- 

 reclnefs, or otherwife, in the author who firll publifhed them; we (hall attempt an alteration but 

 rarely, and that cautioully, or for very glaring reafons; being thoroughly convinced of the difficulty 

 of retaining only one name for each plant. The Vaccinium Ardtoflaphyllus is a native of the illand 

 of Madeira, where it grows to a cqnfiderable height: it has not been many years cultivated in our 

 gardens; having been introduced to us firll by Mr. F. Marlon about the year 1/8(3. The winters in 

 common of this climate are too fevere for it, therefore (hould be protected, although it will furvive 

 a mild one: it is bed preferved in a pot, and kept as a greenhoufe plant, where it is very ornamental; 

 flowering about the months of July and Auguft; thriving bed in light mould, or peat; and is pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, or the feed, which it produces in abundance. 



