41 



(ETHIONEMA MEMBRANACEUM. 



(Membranaceous (Ethionema.) 

 LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



TETEADTNAMIA SILICULOSA. CRUCIFEREJ3. — (JuSS. Be Cand. Prod. Vol. 1, p. 131.) 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



(Ethionema (R. Brown). Silicula ovalis, ssepius emarginata, valvis navicularibus dorso 

 alatis, loculis 1-2-spermis. Stamina majora aut coalita aut dentata. Semina ovato-oblonga, 

 sub lente muriculata. — Be Cand. Prod. vol. 1, p. 208. 



Silicle oval, more frequently notched at the end, valves boat-shaped, winged at the back, 

 cells with from one to two seeds. The larger stamens either joined or toothed. Seeds ovate- 

 oblong, appearing muricated under the microscope. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



<E. membranaceum ; siliculis bilocularibus, 2-spermis, obcordatis confertis, valvulis dorso 

 alatis integris ; foliis linearibus distantibus, stricte adpressis. — Be Cand. 1. c. 



Descr. — Silicles 2-celled, 2-seeded, inversely heart-shaped, clustered ; valves winged at 

 the back, entire ; leaves linear, distant, parallel with the stem. 



(Ethionema membranaceum. — Be Cand. 1. c. Sweet's Fl. Gard. 2 s. t. 69. 



A neat, decumbent, evergreen, suffrutescent plant, scarcely rising from the 

 ground, and spreading, when in a good state of cultivation, from 18 inches to two 

 feet. Stem and branches round, smooth, or covered with minute adpressed hairs- 

 Leaves linear, alternately scattered, smooth, without stipulae. Flowers racemose, 

 without bractea. Petals pink, entire. Calyx scarious at the edges. Seed-vessel 

 membranaceous, winged. This pretty species is deserving of cultivation, though 

 not frequently to be found in collections. It flowers freely during the summer 

 months, beginning in May (should the weather and situation prove favourable) 

 and continuing until the commencement of September. 



Our drawing was taken from a fine plant which was growing last summer in 

 the collection of the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society. It is a 

 native of Persia, and was introduced about the year 1829. It is perfectly hardy, 

 and is readily increased either by cuttings or by seeds. If it be wished to increase 

 it by cuttings, they should be taken from the young wood, and planted in sand 

 under a hand-glass in a cool and shaded situation. The best plants are those 



VOL. I. Gr 



