PLATE LXXXV. 



MAHERNIA O D O R A T A. 



Sweet Mahernia. 



CLASS V r . ORDER V. 



PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. Five Chives. Five Pointals. 



GENERIC 



Calyx. Perianthium monopetalum, quinque- 

 fidum, eampanulatum; dentibus fubulatis, 

 lungioribus; perfiftens. 



Cokolla. Petala quinque, cordata, oblonga, 

 patentia, calyce duplo longiora. 

 Nettaria quinque, obcordata, pedicellate, 

 germen cingentia, calyce breviora. 



Stamina. Filamenta quinque, capillaria, nec- 

 tnrio infidentia, calyce breviora. Antherse 

 oblongae, acuminata, erectae. 



Pistillum. Germen fubpedicellatum, obova- 

 tum, quinquangulum. Styli quinque, fe- 

 tacei, erefti, longitudine petalorum. Stig- 

 mata fimplicia. 



Pf.ricakpium. Caplula ovata, quinquelocu- 

 laris, quinquevalvis. 



Semina nonnulla, reniformia. 



SPECIFIC 



Mahernia foliis lanceolatis, glabris, apice den- 

 tatis; pedunculis bifloris; corollis luteis, 

 odoratiflimis. 



CHARACTER. 



Empalement. Cup one leaf, five-cleft, bell- 

 fhaped; the teeth awl-fhaped, and longer; 

 remaining. 



Blossom. Five petals, heart-fliaped, oblong, 

 fpreading, twice the length of the cup. 

 Hwey-cups five, inverlely heart-fhaped, hav- 

 ing little foot-ftalks, embracing the feed- 

 bud, fhorter than the cup. 



Chives. Five threads, hair like, fitting on the 

 honey-cups, fhorter than the cup. Tips 

 oblong, tapered to a point, and upright. 



Pointal. Seed-bud fupported on a very fliort 

 foot-ftalk, inverlely egg-fhaped, five-angled. 

 Shafts five, like briftles, upright, the length 

 ot the petals. Summits fimple. 



Seed-vessel. Capfule egg-fhaped, five cells, 

 five valves. 



Seeds a few, kidney-fhaped. 



CHARACTER. 



Mahernia with lance-fliaped leaves, fmooth and 

 toothed at the end; foot-ftalks bearing two 

 flowers; the bloffoms yellow and very fweet. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The cup, (natural fize). 



2. The Chives, Honey-cups, and Pointals, as they ftand in the flower. 



3. The fame, with the Chives thrown back, as far as the flight junction of the honey-cups 



will permit, without tearing. 



4. A Chive with its honey-cup, (magnified). 



5. The Seed-bud and Pointals, (magnified). 



Many fpecies of this Genus have, hitherto, been arranged as Hermannias, to which they are 

 undoubtedly very nigh affined; in nuthing effentially varying, but in the character of the chives, 

 being, in this, placed on honey cups, which are wanting in the other; the fame natural appearance 

 however of the junction of the fupporters of the tips, being common to both. From this final] change 

 of the identity of character, fo necefiary in our artificial fvftem, they are thrown to a wide diltnnce 

 in clallification; the one Handing in the fifth, the other in the fixteenth clafs ! The Mahernia 

 odorata is from the Cape of Good Hope, and was lent in feeds to England about the year 1/gl. It 

 is but a fliort -lived greenhoufe plant, and muft be raifed every two years, at leaft, from cut- 

 tings; which lhould be made about the beginning of March, and placed on a gentle hot bed, they 

 will by this means become good fized plants by midfummer. The flavour of the bloffoms is exadtly 

 that of the Jonquil, it continues to flower through the whole year, but is as yet to be found in few 

 collections, although from its different attraction;; we have no doubt of feeing it loon in moft. Rich 

 earth, of old cow dung, and loam, feems to be the foil it moft all'ects. Our drawing was made at 

 the uurfcry Hammerfmith, in July 1799. 



