each other near the base. Stamens from 20 to 30 : fila ments
pale yellow. Germen smooth, 3-sided. Style
straight, smooth, a little longer than the stamens. Stigma
capitate, slightly 3-lobed, fimbriate.
This neat little species is a native of the South of
Europe and the Levant; it is an old inhabitant of our
gardens, in which it is sometimes in great abundance;
but is again frequently lost, as it is very apt to rot off
in Winter with too much moisture, as well as from severe
frost; it is therefore best to keep some plants of it
in pots, to be preserved in frames or in the Greenhouse
in frosty or very wet weather, exposing it as much as
possible when the weather is dry and mild; although
its flowers are not so showy as some other species, its
very distinct habit and character make it well worth
the notice of cultivators, particularly as it belongs to a
tribe of the genus that produces but few species: the
best soil to grow it in is a sandy peat, mixed with a
little loam, and the pots to be well drained with potsherds,
that the wet may pass off freely: young cuttings,
planted under hand-glasses, in a light sandy soil,
in Spring or Autumn, will soon strike root; it may
also be raised from seeds, which are ripened in abundance
; plants of it make a pretty appearance in Summer
when planted out in rock-work, but they will seldom
survive the Winter in such situations, without being
well attended to, and covered up in severe weather,
and to be exposed as much as possible when the weather
is mild.