PLATE CVI. 



HOUSTONIA COCCINEA. 



Scarlet Houftonia. 



CLASS IV. ORDER I. 



TETRJNDRIA MONOGYNIJ. Four Chives. 



One Pointal. 



GENERIC 

 Calyx. Perianthium minimum, quadridenta- 



tum, ereftum, perfiftens. 

 Corolla monopetala, infundibuliformis; tubus 



cylindraceus, longus; limbus quadripartitus, 



patens, laciniis fubrotundis. 

 Stamina. Filamenta quatuor, in collo corollae, 



minima. Antherse fimplices. 

 Pistillum. Germen fupetum, fubrotundum, 



comprefium. Stylus (implex, llaininibus 



brevior. Stigma bifidum, acutum. 

 Pericarpium. Capfula fabrotunda, didyma, 



fupra tranfverfe dehifcens, bilocularis, bi- 



valvis; valvulis difl'epimento oppolitis. 



Semina pauca, parva, ovata, diffepimeuto adhae- 



reutia. 



STECIFIC 

 Houftonia foliis ovatis, glabris, fubternis; caulis 



debilis, fuftruticofus; floribus terminalibus, 



coccineis. 



CHARACTER. 



Empalement. Cup very fmall, with four teeth, 

 upright, and remaining. 



Blossom one petal, fuiinel-ihaped; tube cylin- 

 drical, long; border of four divifions, fpread- 

 ing, fegments roundifh. 



Chives. Four threads, fixed to the neck of the 

 blollbm, very ftnall. Tips fimple. 



Pointal. Seed-bud above, roundiil), and flat- 

 tened. Shaft fimple, lhorter than the 

 chives. Summit fplit in two and fharp. 



Seed-vesscl. Capfule roundilh, double, fplit- 

 ting tranfverfely from the upper part, two 

 cells, two valves; the valves oppofite to the 

 partition. 



Seeds a few, fmall, oval, adhering to the parti- 

 tion. 



CHARACTER. 



Houftonia with oval, fmooth leaves, growing 

 moftly by threes; ftem weak, rather fhrub- 

 by; flowers terminate the branches, and are 

 fcarlet. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Empalement and Pointal, the Bloflbm taken off. 



2. The Bloifom cut open, to fliew its interior itrudlure. 



3. The Seed-bud and Pointal, the leaflets of the cup being removed 



magnified. 



The Houftonia coccinea has been placed, by fome late botanical authors, under the genus Hedyotis; 

 but fuch authorities can have no weight with us, when oppofed to an eftablilhed name, a nearly general 

 conformity in the eflential generic characters; and though laft, not the leaft in our eftimation, the cor- 

 roborating teftimony of Sir J. Banks, Bart. P. R. S. &c. by whom it was lent to the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 in 1793. It is a native of Mexico, South America; and like the Hememerifes,* Fuchfias, Chelones, &c. 

 of that country, is very fubject to damp; but being partly herbaceous, the root is moft frequently 

 preferved, although the upper part has perilhed. Though it requires the protection of a greenhoufe in 

 winter, it may be made an ornamental plant for the flower borders in autumn, by putting fingle 

 cuttings, in fmall pots filled with rich earth, into the heat of a hotbed, early in March, they will be 

 fit to tranfplant into the open ground the latter end of June, and will flower about Auguft, continuing 

 to bloflbm till deftroyed by the froft; or if taken up and put into large pots, will flower till Chriftmas. 

 Our figure was taken from a beautiful plant, in the collection of R. H. James, Efq. Grofvenor-place, 

 in 1799. 



* Tlicfe are the two /pedes of an old genus, Introduced into the Bot. Mag. of Curtis, under the titles of 

 Celfia liniaris and C. urticifo/ia. 



