The botanist's repository for new and rare plants; vol. 06 [of 10]

Volume 6 — PLATE CCCLXX.

Reading edition

POLYGALA TERETIFOLIA.

Cylindric-leaved Milkwort.

CLASS XVII. ORDER III.

DIADELPHIA OCTANDRIA. Two Brotherhoods. Eight Chives.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Calyx 5-phyllus; foliolis duobus alæformibus, coloratis. Legumen obcordatum, biloculare.

Cup 5-leaved; with two of the leaves like wings, coloured. Pod inverse heart-shaped, two-celled.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Polygala, floribus cristatis, racemis terminalibus paucifloris, alis calycinis ovatis acutiusculis multinerviis, caule fruticoso, foliis lineari-subulatis. Willd. Sp. Pl. 882.

Polygala, with cristated flowers, racemes terminal few-flowered, calyx-wings ovate acutish many-nerved, shrubby stem, and linear-awl-shaped leaves.

Descriptio. Ramuli filiformes, patuli, canescentes. Folia sparsa, sæpe conferta, recurva, et falcata, linearia, obtusa, marginibus revolutis, ut in Erica; supra canescentia: subtus cana. Racemi 2-5 flori. Pedunculi pubescentes.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A leaf. 2.The under surface of the same magnified. 3.The exterior part of the cup. 4.One of the wing-like leaves of the cup, outside. 5.The same inside. 6.The chives, keel and banner spread open. 7.The keel and its crest detached. 8.The same magnified. 9.The chives and banner. 10.The same magnified. 11.The seed-bud and pointal. 12.The same magnified.

Our plate represents the true species of Polygala, which we promised in our account of P. stipulacea. It is a green-house shrub, and rather delicate; yet may, with care, be propagated by cuttings; but is at present very scarce in this country. Its native country is the Cape. Our drawing was taken from a plant in the Clapham collection in the summer of 1803.

Illustration from The botanist's repository for new and rare plants; vol. 06 [of 10]