OF ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 261 
GENUS III. 
PLADERA, Solander. THE PLADERA 
Lin. Si/st. TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Oknrric Ch*iuctiir. — Calyx tubular, 4-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped, limb irregular. One of the stamens is shorter than the rest. Stigm» 
2-lobed. Capsule l-celled, 2-valTed. Seeds numerous. 
1.— PLADERA DECUSSATA, Roxb. THE DECUSSATE PLADERA. 
ENORAvii<Gs_Bot. Mag. t. 3066 ; and oxaflg. 3, in Plate 48. 
Synonymes. — Canscora dccuasata, Wall. ; Exacum alatum, Roth. 
Specific Character. — Erect. Stem and branches 4-winged, the 
latter cross-armed. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, sessile 
terminal peduncles trichotomous. Flowers pedicellate ; axillary ones 
solitary. — (G. Don.) 
Desceiption, &c. — An East India plant of very little beauty, introduced in 1816, and growing about a foot 
high. It is rather tender ; and it requires to be raised on a hotbed, and not planted out till June. Pladera 
signifies a moist place. 
P. VIRGATA, Roxb. 
This plant has many synonymes. It is a native of the East Indies, whence it was introduced in 1820, and it 
has small rose-coloured flowers. 
P. PERFOLIATA, Roxb. 
This species has large, pale rose-coloured flowers, and grows about two feet high. It is a native of Malabar, 
where it is called Kansjan cora, and where the native women use it to ornament their hair. It has not yet been 
introduced. 
GENUS IV, 
ERYTHRiEA, Renealm. THE LESSER CENTAURY. 
Lin. Syst. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character.— Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla funnel-shaped, with a short 4— 5.parted limb. Anthers spiral in the old state. Style 
erect. Stigmas 2, roundish. — (G. Don.) 
1.— ERYTHR^aiA CENTAURIUM, Pers. THE COMMON LESSER CENTAURY. 
Specific Character.— Stem tetragonal, dichotomously panicled, 
corymbose. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, 3-nerved. Calyx shorter than 
the tube of the corolla.— (G. Don.) 
Synonymes Chironia Ccntaurium, With. ; Gentiana Centau- 
rium, Lin. 
Enqravinos Eng. Bot. t. 417, 2nd edit. vol. ii. t. 320 ; Wood. 
Med. Bot. t. 157 ; and o\afig. 8, in Plate 48. I 
Description, &c.-A British plant, with pink flowers, of which there are many varieties. The species 
grows about a foot high, in dry gravel or chalk ; but it perishes if transferred to a soil richly manured. It is a 
powerful bitter; and when steeped in gin, or any other strong spirit, it is taken as a tonic by the labouring 
classes. As a garden flower, it is only suitable for rock-work, or hard graveUy banks, where scarcely anything 
else will grow. Erythraea is from Erythros, red flowers. • 
