49 
TROP^OLUM TUBEROSUM. 
(tuberous-rooted TROP/EOLUM.) 
CLASS. ORDKR. 
OCTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
TROP^OLE^. 
Gkneric Character. — See vol. ii. page 193. 
Specific Character. — Root tuberous, perennial. Stem climbing, strong, of a pale green colour. Leaves 
alternate, of five unequal lobes. Lohes obovate, obtuse, slightly glaucous beneath. Leaf-stalk 
from four to five inches long, curved at the base. Flower-stalk from six to nine inches long, pro- 
duced at the axil of each leaf, of a beautiful greenish purple colour, and transparent. Calyx of an 
orange colour, five-cleft, spurred ; segments blunt. Petals five, deep orange, inserted in and rather 
longer than the calyx, striped with brown at the base. Filaments purple. Germen three-lobed. 
Of the many elegant and interesting species of this genus akeady known in 
our collections, some of which, especially T. tricolorum^ have become such 
universal favourites, the one now for the first time figured, far surpasses all others 
with which we are acquainted. Although some years have elapsed since it was 
first introduced to this country, and although during that time it has been culti- 
vated in many collections, we are not aware of its ever having produced its flowers 
in perfection previous to the time at which we obtained the present drawing. 
This can only be accounted for by the circumstance of its never having been pro- 
perly treated ; as most persons who possess it have supposed it to be a greenhouse 
species, and consequently have kept it in pots, in a greenhouse or frame. This 
opinion has now been proved to be quite erroneous, as will be perceived from the 
following facts. 
In the early part of the summer of 1837, Mr. Young, of Epsom, from a laudable 
desire of ascertaining the true habits and disposition of this plant, caused a number 
of plants of it to be placed out in a bed in the open ground ; as soon as they began 
to grow, a few bushes were placed in the ground round each plant, and in the 
course of the summer they grew so vigorously and luxuriantly, as completely to 
cover the bushes which had been placed for their suj^port ; and each plant formed 
VOL. V. — NO. LI. H 
