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P L A T E CII.
E P I G T E A REPENS.
Creeping Epigcea.
C L A S S X. ORDER I.
DECJNDRIA MONOGYNIA. Ten Chives. One Pointal.
GENERIC
CALYX. Perianthium duplex, approximatum,
pei'fiftenir
P. exterius triphylluni ; foliolis ovato-lanceolatis,
acuminatis; extenore majore.
P. interius quinquepartitum, ereftum, esteriore
paulo longius; foliolis lanceolatis,
acuminatis.
COROLLA monopetala, hypoerateriformis; tubus
cylindricus, intus hirfutus; limbus patens,
quinquepartitus, lobis ovato-oblongis.
STAMINA. Filamenta decern, iiliformia, longitudine
tubi. Antherre oblongee, acutse.
PisTiLLUM. Germenglobofum,villolum. Stylus
filiformis, longitudine ftaminum. Stigma
obtufum, fubquinquefidum.
P E R I C A R P I U M . Capfula fub-globola, depreffa,
pentagona, quinquelocularis, quinquevalvis.
SEMINA plurima, fubrotunda.
Receptaculum magnum quinquepartitum.
S P E C I F I C
Epigaea caulibus procumbentibus ; foliis corda toovatis,
integerrimis, reticularis; corollis hypocrateriformibus.
CHARACTER.
EMPALEMENT. Cup double, clofe together, and
remaining.
Outer cup three-leaved; leaflets between
lance and egg-fliape, pointed; the outer
one the largeft.
Inner cup of five divifions, upright, a little
longer than the outer; leaflets lance-ihaped
and pointed.
BLOSSOM one petal, falver-fliaped; tube cylindrical,
hairy within; the border fpreading
with five divifions, the fegments of an oblong
egg-fliape.
CHIVES. Ten thread-fliaped threads the length
of the tube. Tips oblong, and tapered.
P O I N T A L . Seed-bud globular and hairy. Shaft
thread-ihaped, the length of the chives.
Summit blunt, and flightly five-cleft.
SEED-VESSEL. Capfule nearlyglobular, flattened,
five-fided, five cells, and five valves.
SEEDS many, roundifli.
Recepacle large, of five divifions.
CHARACTER.
Epigasa with ftems that lay on the earth; leaves,
between heart and egg-ihape, quite entire,
and netted; bloflToms falver-fliaped.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
] . The two Cups of (he Empalement.
2. The inner Cup, difengaged from the outer.
3. A Bloffom cut open, to fliew its hairy interior.
4. The Chives and Pointal, as they ftand in the Blofl"om.
5. The Pointal, (magnified).
THE Creeping Epigaea is the only fpecies of the genus yet in Britain; it was firft introduced by P. Collinfon,
Efq. in 1736, from N . America; where it is found in moft parts, from Virginia, as far north as
Canada. The flowers of this plant are extremely fragrant, and are produced from March till May.
Hitherto, very few fituations have been found congenial to its cultivation, or growth; indeed, fo fubjeft
is it to perifli from the moifliure, or changeablenefs of atmofphere in our winter months, to which it
is not fubjeft in its native clime, being during that feafon covered with a deep fnow; that unlefs an
occafional fupply had not been procured from America, the plant muft, long ere this, have been loft to
us. The foil which appears befl: adapted for its prefervation, is a light fandy loam: if planted in the
open air, it fliould have a flieltered fituation, on a dry border; but the moft likely mode to preferve it,
is by keeping it as a greenhoufe plant. It is with difiiculty increafed by cuttings, but may be divided
at the root, with fuccefs, in March. Our figure was made at the nurfery of Mefl'. Lee and Kennedy,
Hammerfmith, this year, in the month of April.
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