‘ 
"THE Botanical Magazine for last month, contains figures of, 
1809. ] f.. B45. 
ie MONTHLY BOTANICAL REPORT, 
and a more or less descriptive 
account of, the following plants. 
Allium Puctori ialis, or long rooted garlic: Linnzus had a mind sq philosop ically consti= 
tutes, that he seemed almost intuitively by a definitive application of the most familiar 
terms, and s.gns, to, bring light oat or derkness. Thus, before his time, the use of capital 
letters seemed.to beentirely arbitrary, and might be considered more as ornamenial, than 
useful; but as soon as this naturalist occupied bimse!f in fixing the nomenclature of plants 
upon a solid basis, he immediate:y disceveted the usefulness of exclusively applying the ca- 
pital lettsr in al: cases, when the name hada substantive, and the small letter when it had 
an adjective s.gnification. By this very simple contrivance, he made the capital letier give 
real inioraiaiion whenever it headed a spec'fic nime. So, in ‘he~present instance, any one 
acguain.ed with the Linnean language, unterstands-imnaediately that this species of Alliam 
has been callea Victoriaiis, by some preceding botanist, as effec ually as if he had ‘said, that 
Species of garlic called V: ‘ctortalis; whilst astrangerto this language might susp ct that it was 
an error of the press, and think of altering the specific name, as Allioni has actusily done, 
into victoriate. Suchan advantage gained by so trifling a circumstance, is surely too valuable 
to be thrown away: yet It is surprising, how many. moderna botanists negicvct to avail Ln - 
selves of it. Evesin the B tanical Magazine, though ia giving the specifi: character, th 
proper letter is always attended to, yet im the leading nime at the head of the page, com- 
posed altogether of capitass, the orirter is toolishiy indulged in the use 0% larger type to 
begin the specific, as weilasthe generic name. We say he printer is indulge, because it 
can only be the eye of a me chaaic, thas can discover any beauty in sacrificing utility to un- 
meéaning ornament. ‘The name of Victorialis, was framed from the vulgar: appellation of 
Sie, or root of victory, by whicn the plant was known in Bohemia, being in great re- 
pute amoig the miners in that country, asan amulet, by the virtue of which they easily 
- proved victorious over the devils; tha: are of course So. su uently met with in those gloom 
P 3 &q y g 
regions, wivere Cite light of the sun can never enter. 
Hypoxis stellata, the white- flowered variety, which, if not a distinct species, we believe 
is quive permanent; and not like many white flowers, tne uyere effect of soil, or some acci- 
dent in the germination of the seed. 
Pascratium Amzancaes. A new, beautiful, and fragrant species 3 introduced by Messrs. Mid- 
diemist and Co. shepherd’s Bush. This is perhaps the first accession to our giidens, in cone 
sequence of our freer intercourse with the :srazils, from whence it wasimpurted. But being 
a native o: Peru, ani found on the Almancaes mountains, in the neighbourhood of Lima, it 
is probably too pace to require to be kept in the stove, to which it has been hitherto con- 
signed f 
Trichonema roseum. This is the cape bulbocodium, Ixia rosea ae Linnzeus, and Aiterwatdee in 
the fourteenth edition of the Systema Natur2, confounded with his Ixia Bulbocodium. -Mr. 
Gawler here acknowledges, that-he had himsel: rallen into an error, when he “supposed that 
the [xia Bulbocud.um, pubushed by Curtis, inan early volume of the Botanical: Magazine, was 
really a cape ‘plant. and quote? it as a synonyen of his Trichonema roseum. He now confesses 
that that figure reaily represents the Eurepran species, which he calls Vrichonema bulbccodium 
The -2 species are, however, very difficulty characterized. 
hardy: T. roseum requires the shelter of a greenhouse. 
here tales ; 
Veibascum cupreum. 
> 
T. bulbocodium is per:ectly 
Seven species of trickonem, are 
Given us by Dr. Sims, as a new Species 3 but if it be really a hybrid 
production, as Is nere suspected it is hardly worthy of this elevation, as such plants are rarely, 
if ever, persnanent; a few generations bricging tnem back to an exact con.ormity with one 
of the original parents, or they perish entirely from their barren nature, so frequently ime 
pressed upon the mules of both kingdoms ; otherwise it might be esteemed a Valuable acqui- 
sition to the flower garden. 
Stapelia campanulata, one of the most elegant of this very curious tribe of plants, of which 
So many,species have of late-years been introduced from the southern promontery of Atrica. 
Convolvulus canariensis. A beautiful evergreen native of Madeira, and not sufficiently hardy 
to bear the severities of ovur.winter. Dr. Sims doubts whether Mr. Salisbury’s “onvolvulus 
pannifolius, be noc the same species with this which is an old inhabitant of our gree. houses. ~ 
Gentiana sepremfida < rather unfortunately named ; as the flowersare but rarely divided into 
seven segments, and never without a similar i acres in the number of stamens, which shews 
the increase to be unnatural ; but as this plant has found its way under this name into Will- 
denow’s edition of the Baecies Plantarum, perhaps Dr. Sims has done right to retain it; others 
wise the name of crested, applied as the En glish appellation woula have been much preferable, 
It is an elegant species, and the figure here given of it, is beautifully drawn. 
The English Botany for September, contains as usuai of late, four phenogamic, and seven 
cryptogamic plants. The first only come under our notice » 
Festuca rubra. Dr. Smith acknowledges the difficulty of decidin:, in this genus, what 
may or may not bea species, but-he considers Feéstuca cambrica of Hudson, F. glabra ot Light 
foot, and F. g/auca of Winches Guide, as mere varieties of F. rubra, and inclines to Mr. 
Knapp’s 
