PLATE CXXIII. 



THUNBERGIA FRAGRANS. 



Twining Thunbergia. 



CLASS XIV. 



DID YNA MIA ANGIO SPERM I A. 



GENERIC CH 

 Calyx. Perianthium duplex; ex tortus, diphyl- 

 lum, foliolis ovatis, concavis, longitudine 

 fere tubi ; interius, monophyllum, multi- 

 partitum, laciniis circiter duodecim, lub- 

 ulatis, perianthio exteriori triplo breviori- 

 bus. 

 Corolla monopetala; tubus fenfim ampliatus; 

 limbus quinquefidus; laciniis aequalibus, 

 ovatis, obtufiffimis, tubo triplo breviori- 

 bus. 

 Stamina. Filamenta quatuor, tubo fupra ba- 

 fin inferta, inasqualia; duobus inferioribus 

 brevioribus ; duobus fuperioribus tubo bre- 

 viora. Antherae ovatae, adnatae. 



Pistillum. Germen fuperum. Stylus filifor- 

 mis, tubo paullo brevior, ereftus. Stigma 

 bilobum. 



Pericakpium. Capfula globofa, roftrata, gla- 

 bra, bilocularis, longitudinaliter deliifcens ; 

 roftrum compreflum, fulcatum, lineare, ob- 

 tufum; diflepimentum obovatum, emargi- 

 natum, fub apice foramine perforatum, la- 

 teribus membrunaceum, perfittens. 



SEMiNAin fingulo loculamento bina, reniformia, 

 rugofa, hinc convexa, inde concava fulco 

 longitudinali. 



ORDER II. 



Two Chives longer. Seeds covered. 



ARACTER. 



Empalement. Cup double; the outer one two- 

 leaved ; leaflets egg-thaped and concave, 

 nearly the length of the tube;, the timer 

 one-leaved, many divisions, the fegtnents 

 about twelve, awl-lliaped, thrice as short 

 as the outer cup. 



Blossom, one petal ; tube widening gradually j 

 border five -cleft; fegments equal, egg. 

 iliaped, very blunt, three times as fhort as 

 the tube. 



Chives. Four threads, fixed into the lower 

 part of the tube, unequal; the two lower- 

 moft the ihortett; the two uppermoft fhorter 

 than the tube. Tips egg-fhape, preffed to 

 the threads. 



Pointal. Seed-bud above. Shaft thread fhape, 

 a little fhorter than the tube, and upright, 

 summit two lobed. 



Seed-vessel globular, beaked, fmooth, two 

 celled, and fplits longitudinally; beak flat- 

 tened, awl-fhaped, linear, and blunt; par- 

 tition inverfely egg-fhaped, notched at 

 the end, pierced with a hole at the top, 

 ikinny at the edges, and remaining. 



Seeds two in each cell, kidney-fhaped, rough, 

 convex on one fide, and concave on the 

 other by a longitudinal furrow. 



SPECIFIC 



Thunbergia foliis ovato-acuminatis, fub-denta- 

 tis; corolla alba, hypocrateriformis, tubo 

 compreflb; caule volubili. 



CHARACTER. 



Thunbergia with egg-lhaped, tapering leaves, a 

 little toothed; bloflbm white, falver-fhaped, 

 the tube flattened; ftem twining. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1 . The outer cup of the Empalement. 



2. The inner cup of the fame, magnified. 



3. A Blolfom cut open, to (hew the fituation of the Chives. 



4. The Shaft and Summit, natural fize. 



5. The Seed-bud, magnified. 



6. A ripe Capfule. 



7- A ripe Seed. ■ ** 



The Thunbergia, here figured, is a native of the Eall indies, from the Coromandel coalt; was intro- 

 duced to Britain in the year 179*5, at the fame time with the Ixora pavetla, by t lie Hon. Lady Dow- 

 ager De Clifford. It is eafily propagated, by cuttings, or from the feeds, which ripen with us: it 

 ihould be kept in light, rich earth in the hothoufe; where it will flower from May, till September; 

 in which month this year our drawing was taken at Kenfinglon Gore from a plant in the colleftion 

 of James Vere, Efq. But although Dr. Boxburgh's real'on for adopting the fpecific character he has 

 given it, that the place where it grows is fweet fcented, though the plant is not, feems rather a little 

 ftrained, we have not thought it right to alter it; as unqueftionably, any name would have been equally 

 appropriate, fince neither the flowers, or any part of the plant, root or branch, has the leaft fcent. 



The plant from which this genus was originally formed by the younger Linnaeus in his Sup. Plant. 

 P. 46, is a native of the Cape of Good Hope; and we have our doubts, whether this plant ought to 

 be placed with it; for although it accords in the eflential character, of a double cup, the only one 

 thought necelTary, by Linnaeus, to divide it from Barleria ; yet, from the number of parts in which 

 it differs from his generic charafter, fuch as the fhape of the bloflbm, the length of the pointal, the 

 fituation and fhape of the chives, the very different fhape of the feeds, &c. we are led to think, it 

 ought to be confidered as a diftindt Genus. But in following fuch good authority as the able and 

 learned Dr. Roxburg, it is to be hoped, we fliall ftand excufed in continuing the fame name he has 

 affigned it, without alteration at leatt, if not without comment. 



