POLYGALACEiE. 



93 



of which are wing-shaped and coloured ; stamens eight ; capsule 

 compressed. 



The name arises from Greek words meaning much and 

 milk. Many species of this genus are beautiful greenhouse 

 plants, with purple or blue flow r ers, and are natives of the 

 Cape. Most of them are named from the distinctions in 

 the form of the leaf, as corclifolia, latifolia, oppositifolia, 

 myrtifolia, ligularis, jpinifolia, teretifolia, etc. ; grandiflora 

 has large purple flowers. P. gracilis is a New Zealand spe- 

 cies, with blue flowers. P. thesioides was introduced from 

 Valparaiso, by Mr. Cuming; it is a pretty, small, shrubby 

 species, with deep blue flowers, marked with darker spots. 

 Besides the above there are acuminata, Dalmaisiana, and 

 sjieciosa. Many of these plants flower very early, so that 

 they are particularly valuable in the greenhouse, and they 

 are certainly highly ornamental ; they are. readily increased 

 by cuttings of the young wood planted in sandy soil, or by 

 seed sown in spring, and placed in a hotbed, and when up, 

 gradually hardened in the greenhouse. 



COMESPERMA. 



Gen. Char. (DiadelpMa Octandria.) Divisions of 'calyx irregular; 

 petals unequal in size. 



