By Richard Anthony Salisbury, Esq. 87 



covered with a fine meal ; leaves doubly pinnated, and pale 

 green ; flowers smaller than in the two other species ; ligulated 

 florets from 8 to 9, red orange colour ; this flowered later, and 

 did not ripen seeds. The third, Dahlia Pourpre, he errone- 

 ously supposes to be Cav ANiLLEs'Dahlia Pinnata, and thinks 

 it greatly superior in beauty to both the others ; the roots of 

 this, he observes are covered with a violet coloured cuticle ; 

 stems about five feet high ; leaves often produced in threes ; 

 flowers semidouble: ligulated florets of a rich violet purple, 

 approaching that of the Viola tricolor, or still more like the skin 

 of the Prune de Monsieur Plum, which on their inner surface 

 reflect the light variously ( chatoyante ) like a shot silk ; it flow- 

 ered the latest, and ripened very few seeds. After paying some 

 handsome compliments to Cavanilles for sending, and to 

 Dr. Thibaud for bringing, the roots from Madrid, this can- 

 did and judicious gardener proceeds to state what, he con- 

 ceives, will be the properest mode of treating these plants. 

 He remarks that being newly arrived, with all the original 

 habits contracted in their native climate, it will only be after 

 a lapse of years, that their culture can be thoroughly under- 

 stood : and that if he anticipates any directions on this head, 

 it is rather to excite the attention of others to the subject, 

 than to lay down fixed and positive rules for their conduct. 

 From the magnitude of the roots, the abundant foliage, and 

 rapid expenditure of sap in these plants, he concludes that a 

 strong but very rich soil, nearly such as Orange trees delight 

 in, will be most suitable for them, with plenty of water in dry 

 weather. Being ignorant of their particular locality in Mexico, 

 he doubts whether they will live through the winter at Paris in 

 the open ground, giving his opinion in the negative, for the 



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