Volume 1 — PLATE XXVI. CRASSULA ODORATISSIMA. Sweet-scented Crassula.

CLASS V. ORDER V.

PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. Five Chives. Five Pointals.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Calyx. Perianthium pentaphyllum; foliolis lanceolatis, canaliculato-concavis, erectis, acutis, conniventibus in tubum, persistentibus.

Corolla. Petala quinque, unguibus longis, linearibus, rectis, conniventibus, reflexo-patentibus.

Nectaria quinque; singulum squamula minima, emarginata basi germinis extrorsum annexa.

Stamina. Filamenta quinque, subulata, longitudine tubi, unguibus corollæ inserta. Antheræ simplices.

Pistillum. Germina quinque, oblonga, acuminata, desinentia in stylos subulatos, longitudine staminum. Stigmata obtusa.

Pericarpium. Capsulæ quinque, oblongæ, acuminatæ, rectæ, compressæ, longitudinaliter introrsum dehiscentes.

Semina plura, parva.

Empalement. Cup of five leaves; the small leaves are lance-shaped, concave and channelled, upright, sharp, formed into a tube, and remaining.

Blossom. Petals five, claws long, linear, upright, joined together, bent back, and spreading.

Honey-cups five, each consisting of a small scale notched at the end, and fixed on the outside the base of each seed-bud.

Chives. Five threads, awl-shaped, the length of the tube, fixed into the claws of the blossom. Tips simple.

Pointal. Seed-buds five, oblong, pointed, ending in awl-shaped shafts, the length of the chives. Summits blunt.

Seed-vessel. Five capsules, oblong, pointed, upright, pressed together, and opening inwards along the seam.

Seeds, many, small.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Crassula foliis oppositis, amplexicaulibus, ciliatis, linearibus; floribus capitatis, odoratissimis, luteis.

Crassula with opposite leaves that embrace the stem, fringed and linear; the flowers grow in bunches, are sweet-scented and yellow.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement.

2. A Blossom cut open to shew the insertion of the threads.

3. One Petal of the blossom.

4. The five Pointals as they stand in the blossom, with their honey-cups attached to the bottom of the Seed-buds.

5. One Pointal (magnified).

The Crassula Odoratissima is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, was introduced to our gardens about the year 1794, but did not flower till 1796. The scent of this plant at night is so very powerful, that by many it may be deemed almost offensive, though by others it is considered as most agreeable; the flavour is nearly affined to the tuberose. This is not a very shewy plant, growing about a foot high, and flowers from March, till May or June. It is most easily propagated by cuttings, lives in the common greenhouse with very little care, and in almost any sort of earth. This figure was taken at Messrs. Lee and Kennedy’s, nurserymen, Hammersmith, where the plant was first raised.

PLATE 26