164 



POPULAR GARDEN BOTANY. 



SWAINSONIA, 



Gen. Char. (JDiadelphia Decandria.) Calyx five-toothed ; stan- 

 dard unfurled, larger than the blunt keel ; stigma terminal ; style 

 bearded lengthwise in front, not bearded at the back. 



Named after Mr. Isaac Swainson, of Twickenham. A 

 pretty genus of leguminose shrubs for the greenhouse ; S. 

 coronillafolia and lessertmfolia have purple flowers ; gale- 

 g&folia, scarlet, and astragalifolia, white flowers ; S. Grey- 

 ana is a finer plant than the rest, flourishing well in a cool 

 greenhouse, and will probably bear the outer air in summer ; 

 this plant is slightly shrubby, the leaves long, pinnated, 

 with about eight pairs of leaflets and an odd one ; the ra- 

 cemes of flowers are often a foot long, formed of blossoms 

 of a large size and purple colour, the standard having a 

 w r hite spot in the centre ; altogether it is a very handsome 

 plant, and is common about Port Adelaide and the Murray- 

 River; the other species are also Australian. Osbornii is 

 a very desirable species ; galegcefolia has two varieties, alba 

 and pallida. Cuttings root freely, and the soil should be 

 loam, leaf-mould, and peat. 



