Plants LXXr. 



Vol. IV. No. 2 



REMARKABLE PLANTS, 



Fig. i. The fetid Stapelia, or Car- 

 rion - Flower. 



( Stapelia hirfuta. ) 



In this plant we are prefented with a remarka- 

 ble phaenomenon; nature has given it a per- 

 fectly animal fin ell, like that of pu tri fi ed flefh, 

 whence the name of Carrion -Flower has been 

 given to it. Its native country is the Cape of 

 Good Hope, but it may be rear'd in Europe wi- 

 thin doors, or in a hot-houfe, by the means of 

 flips. The Item confifts of feveral pyramidal 

 branches join'd angularly together, of about the 

 fize of the little finger and full of juice. From 

 the end of. thefe branches proceeds the flower 

 ftalk, which bears a large wheel- fhap'd bloffom. 

 It is divided into five hairy pointed leaves, the 

 ground - colour of which is yellow fhaded with 

 dark red. Thefe bloffoms exhale a fmell Io very 

 like that of carrion that the common flefh - fly 

 is deceiv'd by them, flies to them and lays its 

 eggs upon their leaves. But the maggots when 

 liatch'd cannot live upon the juice of this flo- 

 wer , and die in a fhort time of hunger. The 

 fruit in the fhape of a pod, in which the hairy 

 feeds lie, arifes from the bloffom. 



Fig. 2. The asham'd Mimofa , or 

 S en drive - plant. 



( Mi m o fa pudica. ) 



Not lefs remarkable than the Carrion- flower 

 is the mo de fi Senfitive- plant here reprefented; it 

 belongs to the numerous clafs of Mimofae, which 

 confifts of no lefs than feventy five forts. It 

 grows wild in the Brar.ils , but is now often 

 rais'd from feed by the Gardeners in hot-houfes. 

 It is a fhrub of the height of 2 feet with woody 

 ftalks. On the long ftalks of the leaves, which, 

 as well as the hairy chief ftalks, are dark red, 

 are plac'd the quadruply- divided leaves like fea- 

 thers. The bloffoms of a reddifh colour grow 

 on feparate ftalks, and are of a globular fhape. 

 The moft remarkable quality of this plant is its 

 wonderful irritability. The moment the plant is 

 even flightly touch'd , but particularly fo on the 

 little fpots at the bottom of each leaf, it draws 

 back as if offended, and each leaf which is tou- 

 ch'd f brinks feparately. If you continue to touch 

 it, and that with lefs precaution, the whole 

 ftalli falls , and continues for feveral hours in 

 this laxnefs, 'till it at length recovers itfelf, 

 and rifes again. 



