Volume 3 — PLATE CLXXXV. PERGULARIA ODORATISSIMA. Sweet Pergularia, or Chinese Creeper.

CLASS XX. ORDER VI. of Linn. Gen. Plant. 1764.

GYNANDRIA DECANDRIA. Chives on the Pointal. Ten Chives.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Contorta. Nectarium duplex, genitalia involvens; squamulæ exteriores quinque, cuspidatæ; quinque interiores, membranaceæ, singula squamula occultans stamina duo alterna.

Corolla hypocrateriformis.

Contort. Honey-cup double, concealing the parts of fructification; the outer scales are five, and spear-shaped; the five inner are skinny, each scale covering two alternate chives.

BLOSSOM salver-shaped.

See Pergularia minor, Pl. CLXXXIV. Vol. III.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Pergularia foliis cordatis, senioribus subtomentosis; laciniis corollæ margine revolutis, tortis, linearibus, reflexis, viridibus.

Pergularia with heart-shaped leaves, the older ones rather downy; the segments of the blossom rolled back at the margin, twisted, linear, reflexed, and green.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement.

2. A Blossom.

3. The same, cut open.

4. The parts of fructification, as they appear when covered by the honey-cups, magnified.

5. The outer scale of the Honey-cup, magnified.

6. The inner scale of the Honey-cup, magnified.

7. The two Scales, as they are connected together at the base.

8. The Pointal, with the Chives; the Shaft, Summit, and Chives, with the bodies connecting the Chives, detached and magnified.

This species of Pergularia is a native of China, from whence it was received in the year 1789, by Lady Hume; in whose collection at Wormleybury, Herts, it first flowered in 1791. It is cultivated and increased in the same manner as the P. minor, and is equally fragrant. We have little doubt that our two species comprise four, of the different authors who have collated from each other; we shall take the last, Willdenow. The P. glabra and P. Japonica as our P. minor; and the P. purpurea and tomentosa as our P. odoratissima. The P. edulis of Thunberg is certainly Cynanchum.