Fig. 54.—Flowers, corolla, and stamen of Zenobia.
Fig. 54.—Flowers, corolla, and stamen of Zenobia.
Lyonia is a genus established by the American botanist Nuttall, because the plants it contains have the margins of the valves of their capsules closed by five other narrow external valves. The plants are natives of North America, and their flowers are generally small.Lyonia Marianamay serve as an example of this genus, which is generally adopted by botanists.
It would be useless to enter into details of the other genera formed out of Andromeda, as they are not generally adopted; but, perhaps, it may be worth mentioning, that the well-knownAndromeda floribundais placed by Professor Don in a new genus which he calls Leucothoe.
St. Dabeoc’s Heath, or Irish Whorts, a little heath-like shrub, common in Ireland, is one of those plants which have puzzled botanists exceedingly. It has been called successivelyErica,Andromeda, andMenziesia,Dabœcia; thenErica Hibernica, nextMenziesia polifolia, thenVaccinium Cantabrieumand lastlyDabœcia polifolia. It is probable, however, that it may even yet be doomed to undergo other changes; as, from the construction of its anthers, which are linear, and arrow-shaped at the base, andwhich open lengthways, instead of by pores, it does not appear even to belong to the Ericaceæ.
The other genera in this sub-tribe are quite distinct from each other, and contain several well-known plants. The most popular of these genera are Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Gaultheria, and Clethra.
The Strawberry tree (Arbutus Unedo) has little bell-shaped flowers, contracted at the mouth, and with a curling-back limb, which are easily recognised as belonging to the Ericaceæ. They have ten stamens, the filaments of which are hairy at the base (seeainfig.55) andFig. 55.—Fruit &c. of Arbutus Unedo.inserted in the disk; which in this genus is large, and rises up round the ovary (seeb). The calyx is permanent, and five-cleft; and the flowers are produced in panicles, and each is furnished with a bract. The fruit, which retains the calyx when ripe, is a granular berry, covered with tubercles on the outside; and it has five cells (c) containing the seeds. There are numerous varieties of this species common in British gardens, besides a very beautiful hybridbetween it andA. Andrachne. The latter species is a native of Greece, and rather more tender than the common kind; and it is very conspicuous in shrubberies from its red stems and loose bark.
The Bearberry (Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi) was formerly considered to belong to the genus Arbutus, but it differs in the filaments of the stamens being smooth and dilated at the base, and the awns affixed to the middle of the anthers. The berry is without tubercles, and the cells are often only one-seeded.
There are two species of Gaultheria common in British gardens: viz.—G. procumbensandG. Shallon: both of which have flowers resembling those of the Arbutus and furnished with bracts; but in the former species the flowers are solitary and produced from the axils of the leaves, and in the latter they are in racemes, of the kind called secund, that is with the flowers growing all on one side. The berries of both kinds are eatable, and those ofG. procumbensare called Partridge berries in America, and the leaves Mountain tea. Both species have ten stamens, the anthers of which are two-cleft, each cell being furnished with two horns, as inZenobia speciosa(seefig.54, in page 116). The fruit is five-celled and the seeds are numerous.
The genus Clethra differs considerably from the preceding genera, as the limb of the corollaFig. 56.—Flower of Clethra Alnifolia.is so large and so deeply cleft, as to make the flower appear to have five petals (seeainfig.56). There are ten stamens, with broad arrow-shaped anthers (b), and a three-cleft stigma, (c). The capsule is dry, with three many-seeded cells. InC. alnifolia, a native of North America, (of whichfig.56 represents a magnified flower,) the flowers are erect, and produced in a spicate raceme; but inC. arborea, a native of Madeira, the racemes are panicled, and the flowers drooping and somewhat bell-shaped. Both species are very ornamental.
TRIBE II.—RHODOREÆ.
Theplants included in this tribe are all considered to bear more or less resemblance to the Rhododendron, though in some of them the family likeness is not very strong; and the genera I shall describe to illustrate it areRhododendron, Azalea, and Rhodora (the last two being by some botanists included in Rhododendron); Kalmia, Menziesia, and Ledum.
Fig. 57.—Back view of a Flower of Rhododendron Maximum, and Seed-pod.
Fig. 57.—Back view of a Flower of Rhododendron Maximum, and Seed-pod.
Fig. 58.—Flower of Rhododendron Ponticum.
Fig. 58.—Flower of Rhododendron Ponticum.
The species of the genus Rhododendron are easily distinguished by their flower buds, which are disposed in the form of a strobile, or pine-cone, each bud having its accompanying bract, which the flower retains after its expansion, as shown infig.57 ata, in a flower ofR. maximum. There are five or ten stamens of unequal length, the larger ones curling upwards (as shown atbinfig.58), as does the style (c), which has a simple stigma. The flowers have a very smallcalyx, (dinfig.57,) and a campanulate corolla which is deeply five-cleft, the upper segment (einfig.58) being somewhat larger than the rest, and spotted in the inside. The capsule is five-celled and five-valved, as shown infig.57f. The leaves of nearly all the species are evergreen; and the flowers are showy, and produced in terminal corymbs. The principal species may be thus distinguished from each other;R. maximumhas drooping leaves, covered with brown or white down on the under surface, and a dense corymb of flowers, the segments of the corollas of which are roundish, and the bracts leafy. InR. ponticum, on the contrary, the corymbs of flowers are looser, the segmentsFig. 59.—Seed-pod of Rhododendron Ponticum.more pointed, and the bracts more scale-like; and the leaves are smooth on both surfaces. The seed-pods also differ: in those ofR. maximumand the other American species, the valves are smooth as shown atfinfig.57; and in those ofR. ponticum, the valves are somewhat crinkled as shown infig.59. This species, and all its hybrids and varieties, are more tender thanR. maximum,R. catawbiense, and all the other American kinds and their offspring.R. catawbiensehas the flower of a darker colour on the outside of the corolla than within, and the upper segment is very faintly dotted. It hybridises freely withR. arboreum, whichR. maximumdoes not, and the hybrids thus produced are hardier than those raised fromR. ponticum, though the latter are by far the most numerous.
Most of the species have purple or whitish flowers, but some, such asR. chrysanthemum, andR. anthopogon, have yellow flowers;R. ferrugineumandR. hirsutum, have bright pink or rose-coloured flowers; and those ofR. arboreumthe Nepaul tree Rhododendron, are of a rich scarlet. The commonest small kinds areR. ferrugineumandR. hirsutum, both dwarf shrubs and natives of the north of Europe,with funnel-shaped corollas, and leaves dotted on the under surface. They are so much alike as scarcely to be distinguished at first sight, but on examination the leaves ofR. ferrugineumwill be found to have brown dots, and to be plain on the margin; while those ofR. hirsutumhave white dots and are fringed with fine hairs.
Of all the species of the genus, those which differ most widely from the others are the Indian kinds. Of theseR. arboreumhas a ten-celled capsule, and the segments of the corolla two-lobed with waved margins. The leaves are long and silvery beneath; and the capsules, the peduncles, and the calyxes, are all woolly. InR. campanulatum, a splendid species with very large flowers, the capsule is six-celled, the leaves are somewhat cordate at the base, and the bracts are fringed; and inR. anthopogonthe corolla has a cylindrical tube, woolly inside, and a small but spreading limb, cut into five lobes. There are eight stamens, and the capsule is five-celled.
R. Camtschaticum,R. Chamæcistus, andR. dauricumdiffer from the preceding species in having their corollas rotate, that is, wheel-shaped. The last of these kinds is a favourite greenhouse shrub, from its flowering under shelter in winter. In the open groundit flowers in March. The species has rose-coloured flowers which appear before the leaves; and leaves which turn red in autumn before they fall. The roots are knobbed and fibrous; and the stems are twisted and knobbed in a wild state. There is a varietyR. d. atrovirenswhich has purple flowers, and evergreen leaves, and which is hardier than the species.
The genus Azalea may be divided into three kinds, viz.,A. indicaand its allied species;A. ponticaand its varieties and hybrids; and the American Azaleas. These divisions are easily distinguished by their flowers. Those of the Indian or Chinese Azaleas have all large showy flowers, on short downy footstalks, and they are produced in small clusters of only two or three flowers each, at the extremity of the shoots. The corollas are bell-shaped and deeply cut, nearly to the base, into broad spreading segments. The stamens are ten in number, shorter than the corolla, and of unequal length. The leaves are evergreen, and they are numerous, thickly set and downy. These Azaleas are all very handsome, but the white Indian Azalea (A. indica alba, orA. ledifolia) is particularly so, and very fragrant. The species belonging to this division are mostly natives of China, and require either a greenhouse or some slight protection during winter in England.
The yellow Azalea (A. ponticaorRhododendron flavum) differs fromA. indicain being quite hardy; in the flowers being produced in umbels of from eight to twelve, at the ends of the branches, before the leaves; and in the corollas being funnel-shaped instead of campanulate. The tube of the funnel is, however, shorter than the limb, the segments of which are broad and spreading, the upper three being larger and of a darker yellow than the two below. There are usually five stamens, projecting a little beyond the corolla, and curving upwards; the style also curves upwards, and it is crowned by the stigma, which forms a round green head.
The calyx is very small, and both it and the corolla feel clammy to the touch. The flowers are fragrant. The leaves are deciduous, and they are ovate, slightly hairy, and terminate in a mucro or stiff point. There are many varieties of this species, and many hybrids between it and the American kinds, all of which are quite hardy in British gardens.
The principal American Azaleas areA. nudiflora,A. viscosa,A. nitida, andA. speciosa, all of which have the corollas of their flowers funnel-shaped. Of theseA. nudiflorais easily known by its stamens, which project a long way beyond the corolla, and by the tube of the corolla being longer than the limb. The plant is deciduous; andthe flowers, which are produced in large terminal clusters, and which are not clammy, appear before the leaves. The common English name for this plant in some parts of the country is the American Honeysuckle, and the flowers are of various shades of red, pink, white, and purple.A. calendulacea, which some botanists make a variety of this species, has much larger flowers, and the leaves pubescent on both surfaces, whereas, inA. nudiflorathe leaves are nearly smooth and green, with only a slight fringe of hairs round the margin. There are numerous varieties ofA. calendulacea, the flowers of which are always either yellow, red, orange, or copper-coloured, and it is supposed to be the parent of the beautiful Ghent Azaleas.A. viscosahas the tube of the corolla equal in length to the limb, and rather short stamens; the flowers of this species are clammy.A. hispidum, which is generally considered a variety ofA. viscosa, is still more clammy, and the tube of the corolla is wider and shorter; other probable varieties areA. nitida, which has shining leaves, andA. glauca, which has glaucous ones, as in both kinds the flowers are very clammy.A. speciosahas large flowers and leaves tapering at both ends. All the species of Azalea have five stamens, but some of the varieties have ten.
Rhodora canadensisis a little American shrubwith pink flowers, which appear before the leaves, and the corolla of which is bilabiate, the upper lip being the broadest, and cut into two or three teeth, and the lower only once cut. There are ten stamens, and the capsule is five-celled and five-valved. The leaves are deciduous, and slightly pubescent beneath; and the flowers are produced in small terminal clusters. This plant, as well as all the Azaleas above described, are now included by some botanists in the genus Rhododendron.
The genus Kalmia also belongs to this tribe. The flowers of this well known shrub are very curiously constructed. The corolla is salver-shaped, that is, nearly flat, and on the under side of the limb are ten protuberances, producing as many hollows on the upper side, in which lie half-buried the ten stamens. This singular construction gives the corolla that wrinkled appearance which has procured for the plant its American name of Calico flower; while, from the shape of the leaves, it is also frequently called the Mountain laurel; it is also called Sheep laurel from its being considered poisonous to those animals when they feed on it. There are several species, which differ from each other principally in the shape of their leaves and the size of their flowers.
Menziesiais a genus containing only threespecies, of whichM. pilosa(fig.60) may be taken as an example. The flowers are small and bell-shaped, and the anthers (a) are without any awns or bristles; there are eight stamens, and the curious manner in which they are crowded round the style is shown atb. The capsule is four-celled.
Fig. 60.—Flowers, anthers, and pistil of Menziesia.
Fig. 60.—Flowers, anthers, and pistil of Menziesia.
Loiseleuria, orAzalea procumbens, is a small plant, having the appearance of thyme, which is the only species left in the genus Azalea by those botanists who include the true Azaleas in the genus Rhododendron.
Ledumis the last genus belonging to this tribe that I shall attempt to describe.Ledum palustre, or wild Rosemary, the best-known species, has a corolla in five regular petals, and ten stamens which project beyond it; butL. latifolium, the Labrador Tea, has only five stamens, which arenot longer than the petals.L. buxifolium, a little thyme-like shrub, is now calledLeiophyllum thymifolium. All the species have white flowers.
TRIBE III.—VACCINIEÆ.
Fig. 61.—Common Bilberry(Vaccinium tenellum).Theplants comprised in this tribe, which is considered a separate order by many botanists, all agree with the genus Vaccinium in having the ovary entirely surrounded by the calyx, which forms a fleshy berry-like fruit when ripe, and in the seeds being scaly.Vaccinium Myrtillus, the common Bilberry or Blaeberry, is a familiar example of the genus; andfig.61 shows the shape of the flowers ata, the manner in which the ovary is enveloped in the calyx atb, and the curious shape of the anthers in the magnified representation of them atc. The berry is five-celled and many-seeded; and there are eight or ten stamens. Both the anthers and the flower vary in the different species, but the calyx and the manner in which it surrounds the ovary are nearly the same in all, as may be seen infig.62, which represents a specimen ofV. tenellum, the Pennsylvanian Whortle-berry. Inthis figureais the flower,bthe anther, andcthe ovary surrounded by the calyx.
Fig. 62.—American Whortle-berry(Vaccinium pennsylvanicum).
Fig. 62.—American Whortle-berry(Vaccinium pennsylvanicum).
There are many species, among which may be mentioned the American Bluets (V. angustifolium); Deerberries (V. stamineum); Bluetangles (V. frondosum); the Hungarian Whortle-berryFig. 63.—Cranberry.(V. Arctostaphylos); and the Cow-berry, or common British Whortle-berry (V. Vitis-Idæa).
The Cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris) differs from the genus Vaccinium in the shape of its flowers (seefig.63), and in its anthers being without spurs; there are eight stamens, the filaments of which are connivent, that is, growing close together. The American Cranberry (O. macrocarpus) differs from the European kind, principally in having larger fruit.
TRIBE IV.—PYROLEÆ.
Thistribe is also considered as a separate order by many botanists; but the principal distinction is the long arillus or skin which enfolds the seeds and gives them the appearance of being winged. The most remarkable genera arePyrola, the Winter Green, of which there are several species common in moist woods in the north of England and Scotland; andMonotropa, or Bird’s-nest, parasitic plants which grow on the roots of pine and beech-trees, but are by no means common in England. The species of Pyrola are pretty little evergreen plants, with white flowers, the corollas consisting of five distinct petals, and which have ten stamens, the anthers of which are two-celled, each opening by a pore; the style is single, ending in a capitate stigma cut into five lobes; and the capsule is five-celled. The yellow Bird’s-nest, (Monotropa Hypopitys) has a coloured stem, with drooping flowers, and numerous scales instead of leaves, of which it is destitute. The flowers have a coloured calyx cut into four or five segments, and the corolla is in four or five petals. There is an American species with white flowers.
THE ORDER OLEACEÆ, OR JASMINEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON WHITE JASMINE; THE YELLOW JASMINE; THE PRIVET; THE PHILLYREA; THE OLIVE; THE FRINGE-TREE(Chionanthus Virginica);THE LILAC; THE COMMON ASH; AND THE MANNA OR FLOWERING ASH.
Thisorder was established by Jussieu, who divided it into two tribes—Jasmineæ and Oleineæ, which are now very generally considered as distinct orders. I have, however, thought it best to keep them together, as I wish to make as few divisions as possible, to avoid burthening the memory of my readers. All the genera in both tribes agree in their flowers having only two stamens, an ovary with two cells, and two seeds in each cell; and anthers with two cells, which open with a long slit lengthways.
The species of the Ash have no corolla; but in all the genera where there is one, the filaments of the stamens, which are very short, are inserted in it; and it is generally funnel-shaped—as, for example, the corolla of the Jasmine. Though the ovary is two-celled, and the cells two-seeded, each flower very often only produces one perfect seed. The leaves are generally pinnate.
TRIBE I.—JASMINEÆ.
Fig. 64.—Flower and leaf of the Jasmine.
Fig. 64.—Flower and leaf of the Jasmine.
Thegenus Jasminum is the only one in this tribe which contains plants common in British gardens; and of all the species contained in it, the common white Jasmine (J. officinale) is perhaps the best known. The flowers are produced in terminal clusters of four or six. The calyx is tubular, with the limb cut into numerous narrow segments; (seeainfig.64;) and the corolla is funnel-shaped, with a spreading limb (b) divided into four or five pointed segments, which are folded over each other, and somewhat twisted in the bud. The two stamens and the style and stigma are enclosed in the corolla; and the fruit is a berry divided into two cells, with one seed in each. There is no albumenin the seeds. The leaves (c) are impari-pinnate, with the single terminating leaflet larger than the others; and the petioles are articulated. The common yellow Jasmine (J. fruticans) has flowers in terminal clusters of three each, and its leaves are either ternate, that is, with three leaflets, or simple. The branches are angular, and the leaves quite smooth. The Nepaul yellow Jasmine, (J. revolutum) has pinnate leaves of five or seven leaflets, which are smooth and shining. The flowers are large and produced in compound corymbs. They are a bright yellow, and very fragrant. The segments of the corolla are obtuse, and the stigma club-shaped. There are above seventy species of Jasmine, more than twenty of which have been introduced into Britain; but they may be all easily recognised by their flowers, which bear a strong family likeness to each other, and by the petioles of their leaves, which are always articulated or jointed, that is, they will break off the stem without tearing the bark. In other respects the leaves vary exceedingly in this genus, some being simple and others compound; and some being opposite, as in the common Jasmine, and others alternate, as inJ. revolutum.
TRIBE II.—OLEINEÆ.
Thistribe contains numerous genera, among which the most common are the Privet (Ligustrum), Phillyrea, the Olive (Olea), the Fringe-tree (Chionanthus), the Lilac (Syringa), the Ash (Fraxinus), and the Flowering or Manna Ash (Ornus). All these genera agree in their general character with Jasminum, except as regards their seeds, which abound in albumen.
In the common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), the flowers, which are produced in terminal compound racemes, have a very short calyxFig. 65.—Flower of the Privet.(seeainfig.65), with a funnel-shaped corolla, having a wide tube in proportion to the limb (b), which is very short and divided into four segments. The anthers of the stamens and the stigma are seen in the throat of the corolla. The berry is drupe-like, and generally contains two one-seeded nuts. The leaves are simple and opposite. There are many species of Privet, but the handsomest isL. lucidum, the leaves of which are broad and shining, and the panicles of flowers spreading. This tree yields a kind of waxy matter from its leaves and branches when boiled, which is said to be used by the Chinese for candles.
The Phillyrea is a handsome evergreen shrub, very useful in shrubberies, from its forming a close compact bush of a deep green, which makes a good background to Tree Roses, Almond-trees,Magnolia conspicua, or any other flowering plant that would appear naked if its flowers were not relieved by a background of green. The flowers of the Phillyrea are small and of a greenish white. The fruit is a drupe, containing a two-celled stone or nut, but with seldom more than one perfect seed.
The Olive (Olea sativa) has small white flowers, resembling those of the Privet, and a fleshy drupe like a Sloe, with a one or two celled stone or nut. The oil is contained in the fleshy part of the fruit, and the best oil is that which is obtained by crushing the pulp of the fruit without breaking the stone or nut.
The Fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginica) differs from the preceding genera in the length of the segments of the limb of its corolla, which is cut into long slender shreds like fringe. In all other respects except that the pulp of the fruit does not contain oil, this genus is closely allied to the Olive.
The common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has its flowers disposed in a kind of panicled raceme called a thyrsus. The calyx is very small, and obscurely four-toothed (seeainfig.66), andthe corolla (b) is funnel-shaped, with a four-parted limb; the stigma is two-cleft, and both the style and stamens are enclosed in the tube of the corolla. The fruit is a dry two-celled and two-seeded capsule, which opens with two valves, as shown atc, each valve having a narrow dissepiment down the middle: the shape of the seed is shown atd. The leaves are simple, opposite, and entire; and the branches are filled with pith, which may easily be taken out and the branch left hollow like a pipe; and hence the generic name of Syringa, fromSyrinxa pipe.
Fig. 66.—Flower and seed-pods of the Lilac.
Fig. 66.—Flower and seed-pods of the Lilac.
The Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) differs so much from the other genera as to seem scarcely to belong to the same order. The flowers are without any petals, and frequently without any calyx; and some of them, which are called the female flowers, have no stamens, while others, which are called the males, have no pistil. Some of them, however, have both stamens and pistil.The fruit is what is called a samara or key; that is, it is furnished with a membrane-like wing so as to resemble a dry leaf. It is two-celled, but very frequently only one-seeded. The shape of the keys, and the manner in whichFig. 67.—American Ash(Fraxinus americana).they grow, is shown atainfig.67; and the leaves, atb. The leaves are opposite and generally pinnate, with five or six pairs of leaflets; but there is one species with simple leaves (Fr. simplicifolia). The Weeping Ash is only an accidental variety of the common kind. The leaves of the Ash come out late and fall early; but the tree may easily be recognised when quite bare by the greyness of its bark and its black buds. It will grow in any soil; but it is injurious to arable land, from its roots spreading widely near the surface.
The Manna, or flowering Ash, (Ornus europæus), differs widely from the common Ash in its flowers, which are white, with a corolla divided into four long narrow segments. The two stamens have long filaments, with a small pistil (c), the stigma of which is notched. Theflowers are produced in great profusion in loose panicles, and they are very ornamental, the samaras and leaves closely resembling those of the common ash. There are several species of this genus, which were all formerly included in the genus Fraxinus. The Manna is the sap of the tree, and it is procured by wounding the bark.
THE ORDER SOLANACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE BITTER-SWEET; GARDEN NIGHTSHADE; POTATO; EGG-PLANT; TOMATO; CAPSICUM; WINTER CHERRY; CAPE GOOSEBERRY; THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE; LYCIUM, OR DUKE OF ARGYLE’S TEA-TREE; CESTRUM; VESTIA; TOBACCO; PETUNIA; NIEREMBERGIA; SALPIGLOSSIS; SCHIZANTHUS; HENBANE; DATURA; BRUGMANSIA; SOLANDRA; VERBASCUM; CELSIA; NOLANA; ETC.
Thislarge Order is one of those which appear to have been most troublesome to botanists, as scarcely any two agree as to the plants to be comprised in it. I have, however, taken it in its most comprehensive sense, as far as popular plants are concerned; on the same principles as those by which I have been guided throughout; viz. that it is easier for a beginner to remember a few divisions than a great many; and that when a student has once learnt what plants are nearly allied to each other, and the general features that connect them, it will be comparatively easy to learn the minor distinctions between them.
Taking these principles as my guide, I have given the Order Solanaceæ as it was formed by Jussieu, adding those plants to it which evidently belong to the several sections, but which havebeen discovered since the time of that great naturalist; and I have divided the Order into four tribes, viz. Solanaceæ, Nicotianeæ, Verbascineæ, and Nolaneæ. All these plants agree in having the stamens, which are generally five, inserted in the corolla, the calyx and corolla inclosing the ovary, and the calyx remaining on the ripe fruit.
TRIBE I.—SOLANACEÆ.
Theplants included in this tribe are easily recognised by their flowers, which bear a considerable resemblance to each other, and by their berry-like fruit, which has always a persistent calyx. The corolla is also always folded in the bud; and the folds, like those of a country woman’s clean apron, are often so deeply impressed as to be visible in the newly opened flowers. The genera included in this tribe differ widely in their qualities.
The genus Solanum is easily recognised by a botanist through all its numerous species by its anthers, which open by two pores like those of the Ericaceæ, and which differ in this respect, from the anthers of all the other plants contained in the Order, all of which open by a long slit down each cell. The flowers of all the species of Solanum are of the kind called rotate, or wheel-shaped;but they are generally cut into five distinct segments: which are sometimes turned back, as in the flower of the Bitter-sweet (S. Dulcamara), as shown infig.68a; and sometimes nearly flat,Fig. 68.—Bitter-sweet(Solanum Dulcamara).as in the flower of the common garden Nightshade (S. nigrum). The berries of the Bitter-sweet (b) are red, and they have a very pretty effect in hedges and wild coppices, where they are produced in great abundance during the latter part of summer and autumn; and those of the Garden Nightshade are black. Both these plants are poisonous; but this is by no means the case with all the species of the genus, as the tubers of the potato (S. tuberosum) are, as is well known, wholesome food, and the fruit or apple is not decidedly poisonous; while the Aubergine, or Egg-plant (S. Melongena), which is another species, has a fruit which is large, smooth and shining, and which when boiled or stewed is good to eat. The segments of the corolla of this species are often so deeply notched as to appear to be six or nine, instead of five.
There are many ornamental species of Solanum, many of which have woolly, and someprickly leaves; but the flowers have all such a likeness to each other, as seldom to require to be botanically examined to be recognised.
The Tomato or Love-apple, (Lycopersicum esculentum,) has flowers which bear a great resemblance to those of some of the species of Solanum, but the anthers open longitudinally and are connected by a membrane into a kind of cylinder. The seeds also are hairy; and the berry is wrinkled, and not of so firm a texture as in Solanum. The flowers of this plant are frequently united, so as to appear to have double or treble the usual number of stamens, and two or three styles; and when this is the case, the fruit appears deformed from two or three of the ovaries having grown together. The fruit is very good to eat, and wholesome either boiled or stewed, or as sauce. There are several species, all of which were formerly included in the genus Solanum.
The plants belonging to the genus Capsicum have flowers which are very much like those of the Tomato, and which have similar anthers; but the fruit differs in being a dry, inflated, hollow berry, inclosing numerous seeds, and in both the seeds and their cover having a fiery biting heat to the taste. There are several species with fruit of greater or less size, and different colours; generally red oryellow, but sometimes white or green. The best Cayenne pepper is made from the pods ofC. frutescens, dried in an oven and then reduced to powder. The annual species (C. annuum) has many varieties; one of which produces the small pods called by the market-gardeners Chilies, and which are eaten fresh by dyspeptic patients, to assist digestion.
The Winter Cherry (Physalis Alkekengi) has the same kind of flower as the other genera of this tribe. The corolla is rotate, and obscurely five-lobed; and the stamens, which are connivent, (that is, lying close together), have very large anthers. When the corolla falls, the calyx becomes inflated, and expands to a large size, completely enclosing the little berry-like fruit in the centre. A very beautiful preparation may be made by soaking this calyx in water till it becomes completely macerated; that is, till all the pulp is decayed and only the fibrous part left. The inflated calyx then appears like a beautiful network covering, with the bright red berry in the centre. To macerate the calyx properly, it should be left in the same water without changing, for about six weeks. The Cape Gooseberry (P. peruviana) is another species of the genus Physalis; but instead of being a native of Europe, it is from Peru; and its flowers, instead of being white, are yellow, with a dark red spotat the base of each lobe of the corolla: the berry also is yellow. This species is called Cape Gooseberry, because it is cultivated as a fruit at the Cape of Good Hope.
The Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) differs widely fromFig. 69.—Deadly Nightshade(Atropa Belladonna).all the preceding genera in having a bell-shaped corolla, (seeainfig.69,) and in the anthers (b) not lying close together. It has, however, a permanent calyx and a two-celled berry, like the rest.
The Barbary Box-thorn, or Duke of Argyle’s Tea-tree, (Lycium barbarum) has a somewhat rotate corolla, with a five-cleft limb, with the stamens inserted between the segments in the same manner as shown in the flower of theAtropa Belladonna, represented cut open atbinfig.69. The filaments are hairy at the base, and the anthers are near together, but do not form a cone as in Solanum. The berry is two-celled, and the calyx remains on when it is ripe, as in all theother genera of this order. There are several species of Lycium, which are all known by the English name of Box-thorn; butL. barbarumis also called the Duke of Argyle’s Tea-tree, from a story told of this plant being sent to a Duke of Argyle early in the last century, instead of the true Tea-tree. The story, however, is very doubtful; and the more so, as in France, the dwarf Chinese Elm is called Thé de l’Abbé Gallois, as it is said, from a similar cause.
Cestrum Parquiis a very handsome half-hardy shrub, which may be placed in this division from its berry-like fruit. It has a funnel-shaped corolla, with a five-lobed limb, enclosing its five stamens. The flowers are disposed in an upright raceme; they are yellow, and very fragrant. The berries are of a very dark blue, and almost black when ripe.Vestiais another genus very nearly allied to Cestrum, but the stamens project beyond the mouth of the corolla instead of being enclosed within it; and the flowers, which are produced singly, have a very disagreeable smell.
TRIBE II.—NICOTIANEÆ.
Theplants included in this tribe agree with those of the preceding division, in having the corolla generally folded in large plaits in thebud; but they are distinguished by having all capsular fruit: that is, in all the plants belonging to this tribe, the seed-vessel is dry and hard when ripe, and not soft and pulpy like a berry. The species have nearly all funnel-shaped flowers, with a long tube and a spreading limb; the tube is generally very long in proportion to the limb, and it is often inflated, so as to appear much wider in the upper part than near the calyx.
The Virginian Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is an example of an inflated tube to the corolla (seefig.70,a); the limbFig. 70.—Virginian Tobacco.is small and divided into five pointed segments; and the capsule (b), which opens at the point into four valves when ripe, contains numerous seeds. The whole plant is covered with a clammy down, particularly the leaves, which are large and flabby, and which have their footstalks dilated at the base, so as partly to enfold the stem. There are many species of Nicotiana, some of which are very ornamental. It is the dried leaves that are used as tobacco, or ground into snuff.
The Petunias are so well known, that I need say very little of the general form of their flowers, except to point out the connexion between them and the Tobacco. The corolla is salver-shaped, with a cylindrical tube, wider at the top than at the base, and a five-lobed limb. There are five stamens of unequal length, which are hidden in the tube of the corolla. The stigma has a broad head which is slightly two-lobed; and the calyx remains on the ripe capsule, which is two-celled, and opens in the upper part with two valves. The seeds are numerous and very small, and the leaves are pubescent and slightly clammy. If my readers will take the trouble to compare the Petunia and the Tobacco, they will be surprised to find how much the flowers are botanically alike. The differences are, that the calyx is more leaf-like in the Petunia than in the Tobacco; and the corolla of the Petunia is somewhat oblique, that is, two of the segments are smaller than the others; the filaments, also, are thickened at the base. It will appear extraordinary to every one acquainted with the flowers of the purple and the white Petunias, to find that some botanists have placed them in different genera. Such, however, is the case. On cutting open the delicate little seed of the white Petunia (P. nyctaginiflora), which it must have been very difficult to do, and examining it in a very powerful microscope, the embryo or germ of the future plant was found to be curved like that of most of the other Solanaceæ; whereas when the seed of the purple Petunia (P. phœniceaorviolacea) was examined in the same manner, the embryo was discovered to be straight. This purple Petunia has consequently puzzled botanists as much as some of the other plants I have had occasion to mention; and it has been called successivelyPetunia violacea,Salpiglossis integrifolia,Nierembergia phœnicea, andPetunia phœnicea.
Nierembergiais a genus of ornamental greenhouse plants, easily distinguished from the Petunias by the great length of the tube of the corolla, and by the equal segments of the limb. The stamens also project beyond the flower, being inserted in the throat of the corolla, and the filaments grow together at the base; the stigma, is, likewise, curiously dilated into a kind of crescent shape, and it is folded in a very singular manner round the filaments, as if to support the anthers. The most common species of this genus areN. filicaulis,N. calycina, andN. gracilis.
The genusSalpiglossisis now confined to one species,S. sinuata, so called from its notched or scolloped leaves; all the different kinds being now considered only varieties. The calyx inthis species is five-angled and five-cleft, and the corolla is funnel-shaped, the tube being very narrow near the base, and spreading out wider towards the mouth. The limb is five-cleft, and there are five stamens, one being much smaller than the others. The stigma is transverse, with a channel through the centre.
Schizanthusis another genus nearly allied to the last, but it is more difficult to give a just idea of it than of any other that I have attempted to describe. All the parts of the flower are irregular. The segments of the calyx are uneven; and the limb of the corolla is cut into a number of irregular lobes. There are only two perfect stamens, but there are two other small ones without any pollen in their anthers, and the rudiments of a fifth. The two perfect stamens are very elastic, springing upwards and discharging their pollen at the slightest touch. The capsule is two-celled, the valves opening at top; and the leaves are bi-pinnatifid.
The genera Salpiglossis and Schizanthus have been removed by Dr. Lindley from Solanaceæ, and placed by him in the allied order Scrophularinaceæ, or the Foxglove family.
The Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) has the calyx ventricose at the base, and the corolla campanulately funnel-shaped; the limb is five-cleft, and one of the segments is larger than therest; but the most remarkable part of this plantFig. 71.—Henbane.is the capsule. When the corolla falls, the capsule shrouded in the calyx presents the appearance shown atainfig.71; and as the seeds ripen, the upper part (as shown atb) becomes detached, and opens like a little cap. The leaves are sinuated and semi-decurrent. There are several species of Henbane, one of which (H. aurea) has the limb of the corolla deeply cut on only one side.
The genusDaturais nearly allied toBrugmansia, but it may be easily distinguished by its calyx, which divides when the ovary begins to swell, and the upper part drops off, leaving only the lower part to enfold the capsule. The corolla of all the species of Datura is funnel-shaped, and the limb, in the large-flowered kinds, often shows marks of the plaits in which it lay when it was folded in the bud. There are five distinct stamens, which are generally enclosed in the mouth of the corolla. The capsule is fleshy when young, and in most of the species itis covered with spines. This is the case withD. Stramonium(the common Thorn-apple),D. Tatula, andD. Metel, all of which have also their stamens enclosed; but inD. ceratocaulonthe capsule is smooth and the stamens exserted, that is, they project beyond the tube of the corolla.
The genus Brugmansia is distinguished by its calyx being ventricose, and only two or three cleft; it is also strongly ribbed. The corolla is funnel-shaped, the tube being strongly ribbed; and the limb is five-lobed, the lobes being cuspidate, that is, drawn out into abrupt points. The flowers are drooping, and inBrugmansia suaveolens, formerlyDatura arborea, they are very fragrant. The anthers grow together. The capsule is two-celled, smooth, and of a golden yellow, and the seeds are each covered with a thick corky skin. InSolandra, a nearly allied genus, the calyx bursts on one side, and the lobes of the corolla are not cuspidate, but rounded and fringed. The stamens also project beyond the mouth of the corolla, and the capsule is four-celled. The species of Solandra are all stove-trees.
TRIBE III.—VERBASCINEÆ.
Theplants included in this division differ from those in the preceding ones, in not havingthe corolla plaited in the bud, and in having the anthers only one-celled; distinctions which have been thought of sufficient importance to induce many botanists to make this tribe a separate order.
The British plant sometimes called the Shepherd’s Club, and sometimes the common Mullein or Flannel flower (Verbascum Thapsus), is a familiar example of this genus. In this plant the flower is rotate, or wheel-shaped, and divided into five rather unequal lobes. The calyx is five-cleft; and it possesses such a power of collapsing over the ovary, that when the stem of the plant is struck sharply with a hard substance, every open flower is forced off by the sudden closing of its calyx. There are five stamens, the filaments of which are bearded, and the anthers crescent-shaped; and a capsule, the two cells of which frequently run into one, and which opens by two valves at the apex. The flowers are crowded together in a thick spike-like raceme, which bears no small resemblance to a club. This plant was formerly supposed to be efficacious in driving away evil spirits; and hence it was called Hag’s-taper, now corrupted to High-taper. The whole plant is mucilaginous, and a decoction of it is often given to cattle when they are suffering under pulmonary complaints; and hence is derived anotherof its names, Cow’s Lungwort. The leaves are thick, and woolly on both sides; and they are decurrent, that is, running down the stem, like little wings on each side.
Celsiadiffers from Verbascum botanically in having only four perfect stamens, two of which are shorter than the others. The racemes are also much more loose, from the flowers being on rather long pedicels. Most of the species composing this genus were formerly included in Verbascum.Ramondais another genus, which consists only of theVerbascum Myconiof Linnæus.
TRIBE IV.—NOLANEÆ.
Thistribe, which is now made a distinct order by Dr. Lindley, is principally known by the genus Nolana; the species of which are annual plants, natives of Chili and Peru, which have lately been much cultivated in British gardens. The flowers ofNolana atriplicifolia, one of the commonest kinds, very much resemble those of the commonConvolvulus tricolor, and the leaves are large and juicy like those of spinach. On opening the corolla there will be found to be five stamens, surrounding four or five ovaries, which are crowded together on a fleshy ring-like disk. These ovaries, when ripe, become as many drupes, enclosing each a threeor four celled nut or bony putamen, which is marked with three or more grooves on the outside, and has three or more little holes beneath. All the species of Nolana have the same peculiarities in their seed-vessels, though they differ in many other respects. In the same tribe or order are included two other genera, one of which, called Grabowskia, contains only the singular shrub formerly calledLycium boerhaviæfolium, orEhretia halimifolia, the nuts of which resemble those of the Coffee.
Besides the plants contained in these four tribes, there are several other genera which some botanists place in Solanaceæ, and others in Scrophularineæ; and among these may be mentioned Franciscea, Browallia, and Anthocercis. In the former of these genera the flowers are small, the corolla is salver-shaped, and the calyx, which is permanent, is inflated and smooth. In Browallia, the calyx is strongly ten-ribbed, and the corolla has an oblique limb; and in both genera there are only four stamens, two of which are longer than the others. In Anthocercis there are four perfect stamens and the rudiments of a fifth. The corolla is not folded in the bud, but has a regular, star-like limb.
THE ORDER URTICACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON NETTLE; THE HOP; THE HEMP; THE PELLITORY OF THE WALL; THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE; THE JACK-TREE; THE COW-TREE OR PALO DE VACCA; THE UPAS OR POISON-TREE OF JAVA; THE MULBERRY; THE PAPER MULBERRY; THE OSAGE ORANGE, OR MACLURA; THE COMMON FIG; FICUS SYCAMORUS; THE BANYAN TREE; THE INDIAN-RUBBER TREE; AND FICUS RELIGIOSA.
Thisvery large order is divided into two distinct tribes, which many botanists make separate orders; the one embracing the herbaceous species with watery juice, and the other the ligneous species, all of which have their juice milky. The botanical construction of the flowers is, however, strikingly alike in all, from the nettle and the humble pellitory of the wall, to the fig and bread-fruit tree. In all the genera, the male and female flowers are distinct, that is to say, some of the flowers have only stamens, and the others only a pistil; the latter, of course, being the only ones that produce seed. None of the flowers have any corolla; and in all the male flowers, the stamens, which are erect at first, spring back with elasticity to discharge their pollen, and afterwards remain extended. The seeds of all are enclosed in nuts: though the eatable part varies, being in somethe dilated receptacle, as in the Bread-fruit and the Fig, and in others the metamorphosed calyx, as in the Mulberry. Many of the genera have one or two species which produce eatable fruit, though the fruit of the other species of the same genus is unwholesome; an anomaly rarely to be met with in any other order except Solanaceæ; and though the milky juice of most of the plants is poisonous, it affords in one species, the Cow-tree, wholesome food.
TRIBE I.—URTICACEÆ.
Allthe plants contained in this tribe agree with the common Nettle in yielding a watery juice when broken; in their flowers having no corolla; in the male and female flowers being distinct; in the stamens being first erect, but springing back when they discharge their pollen, and remaining extended; and in their fruit being a nut. Most of them also agree in having rough leaves and angular stalks, the fibres of which are so tenacious as to be capable of being spun.
The common Nettle (Urtica dioica) is the type of this division; and we are so accustomed to consider it a noxious weed, that few persons are aware of the elegance of its flowers, which are disposed in drooping panicles. The maleflowers have their calyx divided into four sepals; and they have four stamens, the anthers of which open with elasticity, and when they spring back, the pollen, which is very abundant, is discharged with such force that it may be seen on a fine day in summer rising like a mist or light cloud over the plants. The stamens, after they have discharged their pollen, lie extended and curved back over the segments of the calyx, as shown atainfig.72. The femaleFig. 72.—Nettle(Urtica dioica).flowers have only two segments to the calyx. They have no style, and the stigma, when highly magnified, will be found divided into numerous segments, as shown atb; the seed-vessel is a nut, which has a shell and kernel, the latter being the seed. The leaves are simple, cordate, opposite to each other, and furnished with stipules. They are rough on the surface, and covered with glandular hairs or stings. These hairs are hollow, with a cell at the base filled with a peculiarly acrid liquid, and tapering upwards so as to form a narrow tube, ending in a sharp point. When the point of the sting enters the skin, the pressure compresses the cell at its base, and the liquid it contains is forced up the tube and injected into the wound. Thestem is quadrangular, and its fibres are so tough, that when separated from the pulp by maceration, they may be spun into yarn. The young shoots when boiled are very good to eat. The Roman Nettle (U. pilulifera) differs from the common kind in having the male flowers in loose panicles, and the female ones in compact pill-like heads, whence the specific name. The sting of this nettle is worse than that of the common kind.