The botanist's repository for new and rare plants; vol. 09 [of 10] — Themes and Context

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Authors: Andrews, Henry Cranke, active 1799-1828 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2024 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Plants -- Pictorial works; Plants, Cultivated -- Pictorial works; Rare plants -- Pictorial works Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 21,553

Reading time 94 min

Text sections 5

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This volume of Andrews's botanical series presents hand-colored engravings and bilingual descriptions of rare plants, including Lobelia assurgens from Jamaican mountains and two Mespilus species from Anatolia, with detailed observations on cultivation and morphology.

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_PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Five Chives. One Pointal.

CALYX quinquefidus, Corolla monopetala, irregularis. Antheræ cohærentes. Capsula infera, 2-seu 3-locularis.

EMPALEMENT five-cleft. Blossom of one petal, irregular. Anthers cohering. Seed-vessel below, with 2 or 3 partitions.

LOBELIA foliis lanceolatis serratis, infernè denticulatis decurrentibus, racemis compositis terminalibus.

LOBELIA with leaves lance-shaped, serrate, toothed towards the base, and running down the stem; the racemes compound and terminal.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A blossom spread open. 2. The chives spread open. 3. The seed-bud and pointal.

This curious species of Lobelia is a native of high mountains in Jamaica, where Brown informs us it grows to the height of 5 or 6 feet. The plant is at present so scarce as not to be enumerated in the Catalogue of the Cambridge Garden; nor has any figure of it, to our knowledge, been before published. Specimens were communicated by A. B. Lambert, esq. from his stove at Boyton, where he informs us that the plant is now about five feet high, with some of the lower leaves a foot and a half long; that it began to blossom in the middle of July, and continued to the end of November; four or five racemes flowering at the same time, and nodding in the manner of ostrich plumes; the blossoms gradually opening in succession towards the top, and the racemes continuing to lengthen until more than a foot long. The flowers have withered without producing any seed. The plant appears to be perennial.

VOLKAMERIA ANGUSTIFOLIA.

_Narrow-leaved Volkameria._

_DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA._ Two Chives longer. Seeds covered.

CALYX quinquefidus: Corollæ laciniis secundis. Drupa 2-locularis. Semina 4, seu abortu tantum 2.

EMPALEMENT five-cleft. Blossom with the divisions pointing one way. Berry 2-celled. Seeds 4, or from abortion only 2.

VOLKAMERIA fruticosa glaberrima, foliis oblongo-lanceolatis integerrimis, pedunculis trichotomis axillaribus et terminalibus.

VOLKAMERIA shrubby and very smooth, with oblong-lanced very entire leaves, and peduncles divided by threes, both axillary and terminal.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The empalement. 2. A blossom spread open, one tip detached and magnified. 3. Seed-bud and pointal, summit magnified. 4. The seed-bud magnified.

Volkameria angustifolia is a dwarf branchy shrub flowering in great profusion about the middle of August. The blossoms are white and remarkably sweet-scented. It was communicated by Mr. Donn, Curator of the Cambridge Botanic garden, and is to be enumerated in the new edition of his Catalogue now in the press. It requires to be kept in the bark-bed in the hot-house, and is supposed to be a native of the Isle of France. We believe no other figure of it has been given.

_Cliffordian Zingiber._

_MONANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ One Chive. One Pointal.

CALYX monophyllus. Corolla 4-5-fida. Antheræ 2. Filamentum simplex ultra antheras productum.

EMPALEMENT of one leaf. Blossom either 4-or 5-cleft. Anthers two. Filament simple, extended beyond the anthers.

ZINGIBER scapo simplicissimo, crasso, brevi, capitulo subovato, bracteis inferioribus lato-ovatis obtusis; corollâ 4-fidâ, laciniis tribus exterioribus oblongis marginibus involutis; alteris sub-cordatis duplo majoribus, mox convolutis.

GINGER with an unbranched, thick, short flower-stalk, the lower flower-scales broadly-oval and blunt: the blossom 4-cleft, the three outer divisions oblong with their margins turned inwards, the inner inversely nearly heart-shaped and doubly larger, soon folding together.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. Sheath at the base of the calyx. 2. A detached flower. 3. Seed-bud, anthers, and pointal, summit magnified. 4. The plant in miniature.

This fine species of Ginger, we are informed, is a native of Guinea, and in the gardens has long been supposed to be the plant which produced the Grains of Paradise, Amomum Granum Paradisi of Linnæus; but it certainly by no means accords with the character of that plant, either as given in the Hortus Kewensis or by Linnæus himself. From the other species of Zingiber enumerated in the eighth volume of the Linnæan Society’s Transactions it is easily distinguished. Having as yet only blossomed in England in the collection of Lady de Clifford at Paddington, in honour of that patroness and lover of botany we have given its specific designation. The culture is the same as for other plants of the family. Our drawing was taken in 1804.

_Broad-leaved Pancratium._

_HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA._ Six Chives. One Pointal.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

PETALA 6. Nectarium 12-fidum. Stamina nectario imposita.

PETALS 6. Honey-cup 12-cleft. Stamens seated on the nectary.

PANCRATIUM spathâ multiflorâ, fragrantissimâ: foliis longo-lanceolatis, corollæ laciniis tubum excedentibus: nectario 6-lobato, sinubus sub-denticulatis. _Willd. Sp._

PANCRATIUM with the sheath many-flowered, and very sweet-scented: the leaves long-lanced, the divisions of the blossom longer than its tube: and the nectary 6-lobed, mostly with little teeth between.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. A flower spread open.

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Volume nine of Henry Cranke Andrews's Botanist's Repository continues its systematic presentation of new and rare plants through hand-colored engravings and bilingual Latin-English descriptions. Each entry follows a consistent structure: Linnaean classification, generic and specific characters, a reference plate with numbered parts, and a narrative paragraph on the plant's origin, discoverer, and cultivation. The excerpts reveal a work grounded in empirical observation—Andrews records precise measurements, flowering periods, and seed viability, often noting when a plant has failed to produce seed in cultivation.

Catalog Subjects vs. Textual Evidence

The catalog lists this volume under 'Plants — Pictorial works' and 'Rare plants — Pictorial works,' which accurately reflects the engravings. However, the excerpts show that the text is far from a mere picture book. Andrews includes detailed botanical descriptions in both Latin and English, following the Linnaean system. He also provides cultivation notes, such as the height of Lobelia assurgens (five feet) and its flowering period from July to November. The narrative often cites contemporary botanists and collectors—A. B. Lambert, the Marquis of Bath, Tournefort—and compares specimens across gardens. The secondary topic 'language-linguistics' is evident in the bilingual format, while 'biology-natural-history' appears in discussions of plant morphology and species distinctions.

Observations on Plant Morphology and Cultivation

Andrews's descriptions are precise and grounded in direct observation. For Lobelia assurgens, he notes that the racemes 'nod in the manner of ostrich plumes' and that flowers opened in succession, with racemes lengthening to over a foot. He records that the plant 'withered without producing any seed,' indicating its perennial nature. For Mespilus odoratissima, he contrasts it with M. tanacetifolia, noting differences in fruit, foliage, and bracteae, and states that the blossoms are 'remarkably fragrant' but smaller. He also comments on the tree's height (6–12 feet) and fruit color. These details show a methodical approach to verifying species distinctions, often correcting earlier confusions.

The Role of Patrons and Collectors

Andrews frequently acknowledges the contributions of aristocrats and botanists who supplied specimens. The Lobelia assurgens was communicated by A. B. Lambert, esq., from his stove at Boyton. The Mespilus odoratissima was identified by the Marquis of Bath, who pointed out its differences from M. tanacetifolia; specimens were provided by the Marchioness of Bath from Longleat. Andrews also cites Tournefort's travels in Anatolia and Pallas's travels in the Crimea to trace the plant's origins. These acknowledgments reveal a network of botanical exchange in early 19th-century Britain, where private gardens and herbaria were crucial for documenting new species.

Readers should approach this volume as a primary source for early 19th-century botanical practice. The engravings are integral, but the text offers insights into how plants were classified, cultivated, and exchanged. Andrews's careful observations—on flowering times, seed set, and morphological variation—provide a window into the empirical methods of the period. The bilingual format also reflects the international character of Linnaean botany.

Holding this volume with its Jamaican lobelia and Anatolian mespilus, I remembered spring walks with my grandmother, who warned me about every bright berry before I picked it. Her caution felt like love, not fear. That same quiet reverence surfaced later when I opened Common poisonous plants of New England — Themes and Context, whose careful drawings made danger seem tender, almost gentle.