PLATE DCXXXVI.
IPOMCEA INSIGNI S.
Magnijicent Ipomcea.
CLASS V. ORDER L
PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Five Stamens. One Style.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
C A L Y X 5-partitus. Corolla campanulata v. in.
fundibulifornais, 5-pUcata. Stigma capitatum,
2-vel 3-lobum- Capsula 2-3-locularis.
Cup 5-parted, Blossom bell- or funnel-shaped,
5-plicate. Stigma headed, 2- or 3-lobed.
Capsule of 2 or 3 cells.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
IPOMOEA caule volubili longissimo et ramosissimo,
glabro ; foliis crassis, glabriusculis, inferioribus
palmato-quinquelobis ; superioribus
cordato-ovatis ovatisque ; mediis subtrilobis
: umbellis pedunculatis, axillaribus,
compositis, multifloris.
IPOMCEA with a turning smooth stem exceedingly
long and branching; the leaves fleshy, nearly
smooth, the lower palmate-5-lobed; the upper
ovate, or a little heart-shaped j the intermediate
commonly 3-lobed : the umbels
axillary upon footstalks, compound, and
bearing many flowers.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A leaf from the base of the plant.
2. A blossom spread open.
3. Seed-bud and pointal.
T H I S remarkable species of Ipomcea was brought from Mrs. Benyon's hothouse at Euglefield, Berkshire,
last August, where the plant, after rising to the top of the trellis, extends both right and
left to a length of about 30 feet, branching in various directions with hundreds of bunches of flowers.
The foliage is singular as to texture, varieties of form, and colour; the lower leaves being of a strong
purple on their under side, and dark green above. The plant is perennial, and continues flowering
during the greatest part of the summer, but does not ripen its seed—most probably owing to the
extreme luxuriance of its inflorescence. All our attempts to discover its native soil, or time of introduction,
have proved abortive; neither have we been able to find that any account of it has before
been published, or any specimens of it in herbariums.
The propagation is by cuttings; and we are informed that Mr. Lambert, who favoured us with the
specimens, is already in possession of some very fine plants of it. ,