PLATE CCLXXI. 



A S C L E P I A S G I G A N T E A 



Gigantic Swallow-wort^ or Auricula tree. 



CLASS V. 

 PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA. 



GENERIC 



Calvx. Perianthium quinquefidum, acutiim, 

 parvunij perfillens. 



Corolla. Monopetala, plana vel reflexa.quin- 

 quepartita, hiciiiiis ovato-acuminatis, levi- 

 ler cum folc flexis. 



Nectaria quinque, tubo filamentorum infra 

 antheras adnata, carnola ("eu cucuUata, e 

 fnndocorMiculum aculiim inuoifumflexuin 

 txferenlia. 



Stamina. Filamenti quinque, in tiibnm, bafii 

 ventricofum^ connata. Anthei<e oblongoe, 

 erccTla:, biloculares, membrana inficxa, ftig- 

 niali incumbenle terminat.T, utrinque ala 

 revcrfa deorfuni latefcente. Pollen con- 

 natus in corpuicula decern, obverfe-lan- 

 ceolata, plana, in loculis antherae depen- 

 dentia e filis brevibus, faepe flexuoiis; 

 quae per paria annexa funt tuberculis quin- 

 que, cartilagineis,didy mis, angulis lligmatis, 

 inter anthera?, adhxrentibus. 



TisTiLLA. Germina duo, oblonga, acuminata. 

 Styli duo, lubulati. Stigma utrifque com- 

 mune, magnum, cralVum, pentagonum, 

 fupra apicibus antherarum te6tum, media 

 unibilicatum. 



PtKiCARPiu.M.FoHiculiduo,magni,oblongi,acu- 

 minati, ventricofi, uniloculares, univalves. 



Semina numerola, imbricata, pappo coronata. 

 Receptaculum membranaceum, liberum. 



SPECIFIC 



Asckpias foliis candidis, obovato-oblongis; pe- 

 tiolis breviflimis; laciniis corolla; rcflexis. 



ORDER IL 



Five Chives. Two Pointals. 



CHARACTER, 



Empalemicnt. Cup five cleft, fiiarp, fmall, re- 

 maining. 



Blossom one petal flat or reflexed, five parted ; 

 divifions pointedly egg-iliaped, iligbtlj 

 bending with the iun. 

 Honeycups five, growing to tiie tube of the 

 threads below the tips, Helhy or hooded, 

 protruding a fliarp horn from the bottom 

 wiiich bends inwards. 



Chives. Five threads colleflcd into a tube 

 Iwellirig at t!ie bale. Tips oMong, upright, 

 two-celled, terminated l)y an inflex mem- 

 brane laying on the fummit, having a re- 

 \erfed wing on each fide, growing broader 

 downwards. The pollen is colletled into 

 ten fmall bodies inverfely lance-fliaped, 

 flat, hanging down into the cells of the 

 tips by fliort threads, often flexible, which 

 arc fixed by pairs to five ikinny twin tuber- 

 cules, adlicring to the angles of the fummit, 

 between ^he tips. 



Pointals. Seed-buds two, oblong, tapered. 

 Shafts two, awl-fliaped. Summit common 

 to both, large, thick, five-cornered, covered 

 at top by the ends of the tips, umbilicate 

 in the middle. 



Seed-vessel. Two pods, large, oblong, tapered, 

 bellied, one celled, one valved. 



Seeds numerous, tiled, crowned with a feather. 

 Receptacle Ikinny, free. 



CHARACTER. 



Swallow-wort with whitened leaves, between in- 

 verfely egg-fliaped and oblong ; foot-flalks 



very fliort; fegments of the blolfom reflexed, 

 REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1 . The Empalement. 



2. The Chives and Pointal, natural fize. 



3. The Chives and Pointal, without the five outer feales or hcney-cups, magnified. 

 -1. One of the outer feales, magnified. 



5. One of the inner, upright feales, which furround tlie fced-buds, magnified. 

 (5. The Seed-buds, Shafts and Summit, with the chives attached to the fummit, magnified. 

 Thk Gigantic Swallow-wort, a native of the Eaft Indies, is a very tender hot-houfe plant; is very 

 fubjccl to lofe its leaves in winter, and lequires the alilliance of the bark-bed to keep it in perfedion. 

 In the Kew Catalogue, it is faid to have been cultivated fo long ago as the jear 1(3()0, at the Royal 

 Gaidens, Hampton Court. To render it vigorous and flourifliing, it fliould be planted in rich earth; 

 compofed of, one half rotten dung, and the other leaf mould and loam; and watered but fparingly in 

 winter. It is feldom propagated but from feeds, which are frequently procured from tlie Ealt, and 

 as often from the Weft Indies. In the illand of Jamaica, it is known by the name of the Auricula 

 tree, where it attains to the height of fix or feven feet. Our drawing was taken from a mod magni- 

 ficent Ipecimen, obligingly fent us by Mrs. Methuen, (of which our figure reprefents but a fmall fide 

 bunch), meafuring above a foot in dianif^ter. The plant, we believe the finelt in England, is in the 

 coUeftion of Paul Methuen, Efq. Corlhain, Wilts. 



Much as we are inclined to tread in the beaten path of our predeceirors, and, more particularly, 

 that of the greateft luminary of this intricate fcience, Linn.-eus, yet can we, but with regret, forbear 

 an alteration we think fo necelfary, in the clallification of this genus. That the clafs Gynandria may, 

 or ought to be excluded from the twenty-four, we fliall not be forward to give our fuflVa^e, in 

 conjunftion with fome modern reformers; and, as they term themfelves, improvers upon the Linrsan 

 fyftem; but, whiltl it is retained, this genus has ftronger claims, in our opinion, upon it, than any 

 which has hitherto been thrown to it. Indeed we had fo clalfcd it, upon fuch grounds iiad formed 

 its creneric charafter ; and had hopes, no one would liave difputed our pofition as jult, upon an in- 

 fpeftion of the dilVe6tions annexed to the figure. Yet fearing, by fome, it inight be confidered as a 

 perplexing innovation; for innovation in all cafes is certainly more or lefs fo, the genus having pnlfed 

 the fcrutinifing ordeal of fo many botanifts; we have, reludlanlly, for the prefent, given up what, 

 neverthelefs, we Ihall confider as Dcccflary for fome boldei hand than ourlelves to undertake. 



^^ 



