PLATE LXXXI. 



SOWERBIA JUNCEA. 



HuJIi-lihe Sowerbia. 



CLASS VI. ORDER I. 

 HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Six Chives. One Pointa'l. 



GENERIC 



Calyx. Involucrum hexaphyllum, multiflo- 



rum ; foliolis eredtis, fcariofis, perfiften- 



tibus. 

 Corolla. Petala fex, infera, perfiflentia ; laci- 



niis ovatis, concavis. 

 Stamina. Filamenta fex, fub-globofa, car- 



nofa, germen cingens; ex quibus tria bian- 



therifera, fterilibus tribus interflimSUs. 



Anthers geminae, lineares, erettae. 

 Pistillum. Germen fuperum. Stylus filifor- 



mis, longitudine ftaminum. Stigma fim- 



plex. 

 Pericarpium. Capfula obtufetrigona, oblonga, 



trilocularis, trivalvis. 

 Semina plura, angulata. 



SPECIFIC 



Sowerbia, foliis teretibus, rnucronatis ; fcapo 

 nudo, flexuolb; nmbclla globofa; flori- 

 bus petiolis longifiimis. 



CHARACTER. 



Empalement. Fence fix-leaved, containing 

 many flowers; the fmall leaves are upright, 

 lkinny, and permanent. 



Blossom. Six petals, beneath and remaining;, 

 fegments egg-ihape, and concave. 



Chives. Six threads almolt round, fleihy, fur- 

 rounding the feed bud; of which three 

 bear two chives, each parted by three fte- 

 rile ones. Tips double, linear, and upright. 



Pointal. Seed-bud above. Shaft thread - 

 fhaped, the length of the chives. Summit 

 fimple. 



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

 long, three-celled, three -valved. 



Seeds many, angular. 



CHARACTER. 



Sowerbia, with cylindrical leaves pointed at the 

 ends; flower- Hem naked and crooked; 

 the umbel globular; flowers with very long 

 foot-ftalks. 



REFEREXCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Fence. 



2. A Blolfom complete. 



3. The Chives expanded. 



4. The Pointal. 



The very great refemblance this plant bears in habit, to fome fpecies of the garlick and rum, led us, 

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

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

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

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

 coloured plates of Englilh plants. Meffrs. Lee and Kennedy of Hammerfmith, were the firfl, who 

 railed this plant from feeds, received in IJQ2 from Botany Bay. Our drawing was taken in May 

 1798, the firlt time it flowered there; it is the full lize of the plant, the flower-item cut off, it being, 

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

 very defirable in the greenhoufe, from the character of the flowers, which retain their colour with 

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

 and fhould be planted in peat earth. 



