149 
CHIRONIA TRINERVIS. 
(three-nerved chironia.) 
class. order. 
PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
GENTIANS^. 
Generic Character. — Calyx divided into five parts. Corolla equal, consisting of a five-parted limb 
with equal ovate segments. Capsule ovate. Seeds, numerous, small. 
Specific Character Plant an evergreen undershrub, from three to four feet high, dark green, smooth, 
spreading. Lmy^s three and five-veined, of an ovate lanceolate shape. Flowers ax\\\&xy. Footstalks 
long, one-flowered. Calyx five- parted, acuminate, tube something shorter than the corolla. 
Corolla, persistent, limb expanded, five-parted, each part of an equal length, and a purple colour. 
In the number of the Botanical Register for October, 1835, Dr. Lindley has 
given a figure of a species of this genus, called Chironia peduncular is, and which 
we think identical with ours in the accompanying plate ; we have, however, adhered 
to the old specific name, on account of its being more generally known by that 
expression ; and as the leaves are frequently found to be three-nerved, the name 
we have adopted will still be descriptive of the plant. 
It is a very pretty shrub, and Dr. Lindley says " it is covered with a succession 
of purple flowers from July to October ; " an assertion that our plants at Chats- 
worth last season sufficiently verified. In the greenhouse it makes a conspicuous 
figure, and on the whole is very handsome ; but still, as it will endure the cli- 
mate of the flower-garden, its spreading habits rather recommend it to that place, 
where it may be planted several together in a bed, or dispersed singly ; either way 
it will, by its rich purple blossoms, have the efl"ect of adding much to the beauty and 
liveliness of that delightful spot. We possess no authentic account as to what 
country it is a native of. 
It is propagated with much ease from cuttings ; those struck in autumn or springs 
will flower well the succeeding season. At Chatsworth we take off cuttings of the 
young or half-ripened wood, pot them in sand, and, as soon as roots are obtained, 
we pot them ofl" into soil ; by this practice we have good flowering plants the fol- 
lowing season, that can be employed for any purpose. The plants will not endure 
the winter, therefore must be protected by keeping them in the greenhouse during 
that season. Any kind of soil will suit them, but that in which a little peat is 
incorporated seems to be their delight. 
" Named in honour of Chiron the Centaur, one of the earliest practitioners whose 
names have been preserved. The intense bitterness of the genus indicates its 
powerful tonic ^xo^QxiiQ^y^ Botanical Register, 1803. 
