360 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART lit. 



CHAP. XV. 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY SUFFRUTICOSE PLANTS OF THE 



ORDER ZINA V CEiE. 



This order is included in our catalogue for the sake of the tree 

 flax, lAnum arbbreum L. (Bot. Mag., t. 234., and our fig. 86.) It is 

 a native of Candia and Italy, on the mountains, and forms a neat 

 little evergreen bush in dry soils, in warm situations in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London, requiring little or no protection, except during 

 the most severe winters. The largest plants which we have seen 

 of it were in a sandy border in the garden at Nonsuch Park, in 

 Surrey. They were about 2 ft. high, and 3 ft. broad, and they pro- 

 duced their fine large yellow flowers from May to September ; in 

 the same situation ripening seeds, from which, or from cuttings, 

 they are* readily propagated. lAnum ta-uricum W., from Tauria, 

 which grows to the height of If ft., and L. salsoloides Lam., with 

 pink flowers, are equally hardy with L. arbbreum ; and all three 

 should be included in every complete arboretum and fruticetum. 

 L. suffruticbsum, from Spain, an old inhabitant of our green-houses, 

 with pink flowers, is, in all probability, as hardy as the others. 



CHAP. XVI. 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARD? LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE 

 ORDER iV/ALVA'CEJE. 



Distinctive Characteristics. Thalamiflorous. (H. B.) Calyx with a valvate 

 aestivation, mostly with an involucre. Stamens with the filaments monadel- 

 phous, and the anthers 1-celled. Pubescence starry. (Lind. Introd. to N. S.) 

 The hardy ligneous species of this order are few, but splendid ; the //ibiscus 

 syriacus, and its different varieties, being among the most ornamental of flow- 

 ering shrubs. Chemically, all the species abound in a nutritive mucilage ; 

 and, medicinally, they are emollient. The fibrous threads of the inner bark 

 may, in most of the species, when properly prepared, be manufactured into 

 cordage or cloth. The genera containing hardy or half-hardy species are 

 two : Lavatera and i/ibiscus ; the distinctive characters of which are : — 

 Lava'ter^ L. Carpels capsular, 1-seeded, disposed into a ring around the 



axis. 

 /Zibi'scus L. Carpels joined into a 5-celled capsule. 



Genus I. 



LAVA'TER^ L. The Lavatera, or Tree Mallow. Lin. Syst. 

 Monadelphia Polyandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., n. 842. ; Dec. Prod., 1. 438. ; Don's Mill., 1. 468. 



Synonytnes. The Tree Mallow ; Lavatere, Fr. and Ger. 



Gen. Char., $c. Calyx 5-cleft, girded by a 3- or 5-cleft involucel ; its leaflets being joined as far as 

 the middle. Carpels capsular, 1-seeded, disposed into a ring around the axis, which is variously 

 dilated above the fruit {Dec. Prod.,\. p. 438.) The half-hardy ligneous species are L. maritima, 

 triloba, subovata, and africana. 



* 1. L. mari'tima Gouan. The seaside-inhabiting Lavatera. 



Identification. Gouan. 111., p. 46. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 439. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 469. 

 Synonynies. L. hispanica Mill. Diet., No. 9. ; L. rotundifolia Lam. 

 Engravings. Gouan. 111., t. 11. f. 2.; Cav. Diss., t. 32. fig. 3. ; and our fig. 87. 



