The genera of plants : a fragment containing part of Liriogamae / by Richard Anthony Salisbury.

  • Salisbury, R. A. (Richard Anthony), 1761-1829.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The genera of plants : a fragment containing part of Liriogamae / by Richard Anthony Salisbury. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Chapel Allerton, I enquired of Bruce, sending him a coloured figure of it; he frankly replied that he did not recollect, but if not in Abyssinia most probably within the Tropic. Monotassa has cre- nulated Leaves not coming up till its Flowers are past and gone; they have very short Bractes and all turn one way as my name indicates; Petals of a dull yellow tint, and strongly bearded at their points; Filaments narrow and equal; Style long and slender. Rha- damanthus is so named from its slender Peduncle and Pedicels; but never having seen the Fruit or ripe Seeds, I am not certain of its immediate affinity, and Linne referred it to Hyacinthus; its Petals are united almost half way up; Anthers converging into a broad line, and only splitting at the Top like those Kalmia in Dieotyledones; many Seeds are in each cell; Style thick; Stigma somewhat mitre- shaped, and several narrow fleshy Leaves appearing soon after the Peduncle. I am not well acquainted either with Physodia; it is however a most distinct Genus, and I formerly believed like Jacquin that it had some affinity to Anthericum; for the Filaments of two Flowers, taken from the identical specimen figured in the Botanical Magazine, were fully as pubescent as that accurate Botanist describes them; but it has a tunicated Bulb, Pedicels without joint, a pendulous inflated Capsule, and according to Jacquin only two winged Seeds in each Cell. The Bulbs of Drimia are somewhat scaly, and full of acrid Juice; Pericarpium a little stipitated, not splitting down to its base; Seeds erect, comprest, and smooth; this Genus may he naturally divided into two Sections, in one of which the Leaves are broad, Petals hardly revolute, and Filaments diverging; but in the other, the Leaves are narrow, Petals exceedingly revolute and Fila- ments approximated into a Bundle. Sypharissa has scarious Stipules barred with transverse partitions, not unlike the slough of a Snake ; and traces of these are visible in several Drimias; the Peduncle comes up with the Leaves or soon after; and the Pericarpium is sessile, containing many winged Seeds. Mr. J. B. Ker has joined two of the Species to Albuca ! but he now says in the 311th number of the Botanical Register, that they “ will probably be at some period formed into a separate Genus.” Clas. 3. Tetr^. The Orders here combined have occasionally a twining Stem or if not the young Shoot is protruded suddenly out of the ground, vege- tating rapidly, and seldom woody or perennial. Most of the Genera are hexandrous, and if three of their Filaments are barren or sup- prest, they are those opposite to the outer divisions of the floral Envelope, as in the next Class of JSarmentacece, from which they may be distinguished 1st by having no joint in their Pedicels : 2ndly the aestivation, as Linne quaintly named it, of their Petals is often pecu- liar the sides having a disposition to roll inward; or in some Genera they remain nearly in the same position from their earliest infancy till fully grown, and are sometimes so little closed that their other organs of reproduction may be seen in the middle or protruded beyond them: 3rd]y their Embryo is situated near or close to the Hilum,