With us it has hitherto been treated, on account of its ra- 
rity, as a greenhouse plant, when it has the appearance of be- 
ing at least a biennial. But it may be better perhaps to regard 
it as a hardy annual ; and it is certain that it is mentioned by 
WiLLDENOW as of annual duration. It is a native of the 
Levant. 
Some authors describe the flowers as sessile ; but this is not 
the case in our plant, although the upper and younger flowers 
on the raceme may be nearly so. 
Closely allied to this is L. dubia ofHortus Kewensis (pro- 
bably the L. orientalis of Lamarck), which has the stamens 
included in the corolla, and inhabits the Caucasus ; and still 
more nearly the Luhinia atropurpurea of Link and Otto, 
in the Plants of the Berlin Garden, t. 27, a native of the Cape 
of Good Hope. Indeed, I can see no difference in the two 
plants whatever. The genus Luhinia was founded by CoM- 
MERSON upon the LysimacMa mauritiana of Lamarck, 
which has a spreading, somewhat irregular limb to the corolla, 
and alternate leaves. 
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Anther with its cells closed. Fig. 3. Anther with 
the cells open, and filled with the pollen. Fig. 4. Corolla opened to 
shew the situation of the stamens and the pistil. Fig. 5. Pistil. Fig. 6. 
Germen cut through transversely to shew the ovules. Fig. 1[. Back 
view of a leaf. — All but Fig. 7- more or less magnified. 
