Cuphea viscocissima.
evei is not a native of this country, this indeed being the only one
found indigenous. The plant is not possessed of sufficient beauty
to invite culture, except on account of its rarity, in places where it
is not found wild. In the botanic gardens of England, however,
it is thought worthy of cultivation; and is readily propagated
from seeds obtained from Brazil. It improves in some degree in
those places, but perhaps never attains a finer appearance than in
very favourable and protected situations in this country. Such as
enjoy a due degree of moisture, combined with a loose, sandy, but
rich soil, are most likely to produce luxuriant specimens. Yet the
petals never increase much in size, however vigorous the herbage
may be. They are liable to variation merely in number, being quite
as often only five as six, the number the generic character requires.
Fig. l. About one-half of the main stem of a flowering specimen
eighteen inches high, culled September 1 3 .
3. A flower separated.
3. The capsule after it has bursted, exhibiting the seeds erectly
attached to the filiform, lateral branches of a triquetrous cartilaginous
receptacle.
4, A seed, separated.
(All the size of nature.)