Volume 5 — PLATE CCCX.

STACHYS COCCINEA.

Scarlet Clownheal.

CLASS XIV. ORDER I.

DIDYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA. Two Chives longer. Seed naked.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Calyx. Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum, angulatum, semiquinquefidum, acuminatum, persistens; dentriculis acuminatis, subulatis, subinæquale.

Corolla monopetala, ringens; tubus brevissimus; faux oblonga, ad basin deorsum gibba; labium superius erectum, subovatum, fornicatum, sæpe emarginatum; labium inferius majus, trifidum lateribus reflexum; lacinula intermedia maxima, emarginata, replicata.

Stamina. Filamenta quatuor, quorum duo breviora, subulata, ad latera faucis recurvata. Antheræ simplices.

Pistillum. Germen quadripartitum. Stylus filiformis, situ et longitudine staminum. Stigma bifidum, acutum.

Pericarpium nullum. Calyx vix mutatus.

Semina quatuor, ovata, angulata.

Empalement. Cup one-leaf, tubular, angular, five shallow clefts, taper, permanent; toothless taper, awl-shaped, nearly equal.

Blossom one petal, gaping; tube very short; mouth oblong, hunched downwards towards the base; upper lip upright, rather egg-shaped, arched, often notched at the end; lower lip large, three-cleft, side ones reflexed; the middle segment, which is the largest, notched at the end, and folded back.

Chives. Four threads, of which two are shorter, awl-shaped, bent to the sides of the mouth. Tips simple.

Pointal. Seed-bud with four divisions. Shaft thread-shaped, of the length and situation of the chives. Summit cloven, sharp-pointed.

Seed-vessel none. The cup scarce changed.

Seeds four, egg-shaped, angular.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Stachys verticillis sexfloris; foliis ovato-oblongis, basi cordatis, crenatis; floribus coccineis.

Clownheal with six flowered whorls; leaves oblong-egg-shaped, heart-shaped at the base, scolloped; flowers scarlet.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

Although this species of Stachys must be considered as an herbaceous plant, yet the stem, if kept in the green-house, may be preserved; and therefore, as it is too tender to bear our winters, in the open ground, we must consign it to that station. It is a native of South America; is easily propagated by cuttings; flowers in the month of July, or August, and thrives in rich mould. The figure was taken from a plant in the collection of J. Vere, Esq. Kensington Gore, where, we believe, it flowered for the first time in Britain.