360 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTrcETUM. 



PART III. 



CHAP. XV. 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY SUFFRUTICOSE PLANTS OF THE 



ORDER LINA'CEiE. 



This order is included in our catalogue for the sake of tlie tree 

 flax, U.num arbbreum L. {Bot. Mag., t. 23i., and our Jifr. 86.) It is 

 a native ot Candia and Italy, on the mountains, and forms a neat 

 little evergreen bush in dry soils, in warm situations in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London, requiring littleor noprotection, except during 

 the most severe winters. The largest plants which we have seen 

 of it were in a sandy border in the garden at Nonsuch Park, in 

 Surrey. They were about 2 ft. high, and 3 ft. broad, and they pro- 

 duced their fine large yellow flowers from May to September ; in 

 the s.ame situation ripening seeds, from which, or from cuttings, 

 they are readily propagated. lAfium tcturicum W., from Taurla, 

 which grows to the height of IJ ft, and L. salsoldides Lam., with 

 pink flowers, are equally hardy with L. arbbrexim ; and all three 

 should be included in every complete arboretum and fruticetum. 

 L. siiffruticbsum, from Spain, an old inhabitant of our green-houses, 

 with pink flowers, is, in all i)robability, as hardy as the others. 



CHAP. XVL 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDt LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE 

 ORDER JVfALVA^CE^. 



Distinctive Characteristics. Thalamiflorous. (^H. B.) Calyx with a valvate 

 aestivation, mostly with an involucre. Stamens with the filaments monadel- 

 phous, and the anthers 1-celled. Pubescence starry. (Lind. Introd. to N. S.} 

 The hardy ligneous species of this order are few, but splendid ; the i/iblscus 

 syriacus, and its different varieties, being among the most ornamental of flow- 

 ering shrubs. Chemically, all the species abound in a nutritive mucilage ; 

 and, medicinally, they are emollient. The fibrous threads of the inner bark 

 may, in most of the species, when properly prepared, be manufactured into 

 cordage or cloth. The genera containing hardy or half-hardy species are 

 two : Lavatera and Ifiblscus ; the distinctive characters of which are : — 

 Lava'ter.4 L. Carpels capsular, 1-seeded, disposed into a ring around the 



axis. 



/Z'iBi'scus L. Carpels joined into a 5-celled capsule. 



Genus I. 



LAVA'TERJ L. The Lavatera, or Tree Mallow. Lin. Sj/st. 

 Monadelphia Polyandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., n. 842. ; Dec. Prod., 1. 438. ; Don's Mill., 1. 468. 

 Synonymes. The Tree Mallow ; Lavatfere, Fr. and Ger. 



Gen. Char., SfC. Calyx 5-cleft, girded by a 3- or 5-cleft involucel; its leaflets being joined as far as 

 the middle. Carpe/s capsular, 1-seeded, disposed into a ring around the axis, which is variously 

 dilated above the fruit. {Dec. Prod., i. p. 4S8.) The half-hardy ligneous species are L. marj'tima, 



. triloba, subovata, and africana. 



it 1. L. MARi^TiaiA Gouan. The sea-side-inkabiting Lavatera, 



Identification. Gouan. 111., p. 46. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 439. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 469. 

 Synonymes. L. hisp&nica Mill. Diet., No. 9. ; L. rotundifoliaiaw?. 

 Engravings. Gouan. III., t. IL f. 2.; Cav. Diss., t. 32. fig. 3. j and our fig. 87. 



