173 
RHODANTHE MANGLES! I. 
(captain mangles' RHODANTHE,) 
ORDER. 
iEQUALlS. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
COMPOSITE. 
Generic Character — Head many- flowered, homogeneous. Pappus piliform, plumose, distinct. Seed 
gnawed, woolly. Receptacle naked. 
Specific Character. — P/a/i^ an annual, growing from nine to sixteen inches high. Stem round, smooth, 
somewhat branching. Branches wavy, inclined to be slender. Leaves oblong-obtuse, clasping 
the stem at the base, upper surface of a dark green colour, something paler beneath. Involucre 
turbinate, much tapering at the base, formed below of many loosely imbricated, purplish grey, ovate, 
lanceolate scales, which, as they proceed upwards, grow longer and stronger, assuming a rose colour 
and toothed. Disc consisting of a great number of yellow tubular flowerets. Pappus feathery. 
This very interesting- and pleasing little annual, althoiig-h hardy, has been with 
us_, at Chatsworth, kept in the g-reenhonse, where its delicate foliage, fair rose- 
coloured flowers, and graceful habit, have been a conspicuous object of gaiety 
during the whole summer. 
No plant can be more desirable or worthy of a place in the flower garden than 
the present ; for beauty and liveliness of flowers it gives way to none ; for 
freedom of disposition to produce them it stands unexcelled ; and for general 
appearance, when several are put together, no group of plants can produce an aspect 
more easy and pleasing ; and to use the words of Dr. Lindley, " it possesses the 
brilliancy of the Cape Helichrysa, without their stifl"ness and formality." 
It may be brought to flower at almost any season, by attending to the time for 
sowing the seeds ; say two months or ten weeks before the plants are wanted to 
bloom ; we have had a succession the whole summer, and a few plants raised from 
seeds sown in June are just faded. Beautiful as its flowers are in the flower garden, a 
few plants will always be welcome in the greenhouse, and one that is kept airy and 
cool is the sort of place they much delight in. A loamy soil not over watered 
will do well for them. Seed ripens in abundance, which should be carefully col- 
lected in fine weather. 
For the introduction of this plant we are indebted to the exertions of Captain 
CLASS. 
SYNGENESIA. 
