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P L A T E LXXXV.
MA H E R N I A ODORATA.
Sweet Maherfiia.
C L A S S V. ORDER V.
PENTANDRIJ PENTAGYNIA. Five Chives. Five Pointais.
G E N E R I C CHARACTER.
CALYX. Pe r i a n t h i um mo n o p e t a l nm, q u i n q u e - EMP A L EME N T . Cu p one leaf, five-cleft, bellfidiim,
campanulatiim; deiitibus fubulatis,
longioribus; perfiftens.
COROLLA. Pétala quinqué, cordata, oblonga,
patentia, calyce duplo longiora.
Niéiaria quinqué, obcordata, pedicellata,
germen cingenlia, calyce breviora.
STAMINA. Filamenta quinqiie, capillaria, nectario
infidentia, calyce breviora. Antlierae
oblongae, acuminatas, ereiStse.
PisTiLLUM. Germen fubpedicellatum, obovatum,
quinquangulum. Styli quinqué, fetacci,
eredi, longitudine petalorum. Stigmata
iiraplicia.
PEKICAEPIUM. Capfula ovata, quinquelocularis,
quinquevalvis.
SEMINA nonnulla, reniformia.
S P E C I F I C
Maliernia foliis lanceolatis, glabris, apice dent
a t i s ; pedunculis bifloris; corollis luteis,
odora tiflìmis.
fliaped; the teeth awl-iliaped, and longer;
remaining.
BLOSSOM. Five petals, heart-fliaped, oblong,
fpreading, twice the length of the cup.
Honey-cufs five, inverfely heart-iliaped, having
little foot-ftalks, embracing the feedbud,
iliorter than the cup.
CHIVES. Five threads, hair like, fitting on the
honey-cups, iliorter than the cup. Tips
oblong, tapered to a point, and upright.
POINTAL. Seed-bud fupported on a very fliort
foot-ftalk, inverfely egg-fliaped, five-angled.
Shafts five, like briftles, upright, the length
of the petals. Summits fimple.
SEED VESSEL. Capfule egg-iliaped, five cells,
five valves.
SEEDS a few, kidney-fliaped.
CHARACTER.
Mahernia with lance-fliaped leaves, fmooth and
toothed at the end; foot-ftalks bearing two
flowers; thebloffoms yellow and very fweet .
R E F E R E N C E TO THE PLATE.
1. The cup, (naturalize).
2 . The Chives, Honey-cups, and Pointals, as they ftand in the flower.
3. The fame, with the Chives throm'n back, as far as the flight junfition of the honey-cups
will permit, without tearing.
4 . A Chive with its honey-cup, (magnified).
5. The Seed-bud and Pointals, (magnified).
MANY fpecies of this Genus have, hitherto, been arranged as Hermannias, to which they arc
undoubtedly very nigh affined; in nothing eflentiallv varj-ing, but in the charaiter of the chives,
being, in this, placed on honey cups, which are wanting in the other; the fame natural appearance
however of the junf i ion of the fupporters of the lips, being common to both. From this fmall change
of the identity of charaSer, fo neceifary in our arlilidal fyftem, they are thrown to a wide diftance
in clallification; the one ftanding in the fifth, the other in the fixteenth clafs ! The Mahernia
odorata is from the Cape of Good Hope, and was fent in feeds to England about the year 1792. It
is but a fliort-lived greenhoufc plant, and mnft be raifed eveiy two years, at leaft, from cattings;
which Ihould be made about the beginning of March, and placed on a gentle hot-bed, they
will by this means become good lized plants by midfummer. The flavour of the bloilbms is exaflly
t h a t of the Jonquil, it continues to flower through the whole year, but is as yet to be found in few
colle6lions, although from its difTerent attraflions we have no doubt of feeing it foon in raoft. Rich
earth, of old cow dung, and loam, feems to be the foil it mofl: a f feas. Our drawing was made at
t h e nurlery Hammerfraith, in July l/QQ,