Chives. Four threads, fixed to the neck of the blossom, very small. Tips simple.
Pointal. Seed-bud above, roundish, and flattened. Shaft simple, shorter than the chives. Summit split in two and sharp.
Seed-vessel. Capsule roundish, double, splitting transversely from the upper part, two cells, two valves; the valves opposite to the partition.
Seeds a few, small, oval, adhering to the partition.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Houstonia foliis ovatis, glabris, subternis; caulis debilis, suffruticosus; floribus terminalibus, coccineis.
Houstonia with oval, smooth leaves, growing mostly by threes; stem weak, rather shrubby; flowers terminate the branches, and are scarlet.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The Empalement and Pointal, the Blossom taken off.
2. The Blossom cut open, to shew its interior structure.
3. The Seed-bud and Pointal, the leaflets of the cup being removed, magnified.
The Houstonia coccinea has been placed, by some late botanical authors, under the genus Hedyotis; but such authorities can have no weight with us, when opposed to an established name, a nearly general conformity in the essential generic characters; and though last, not the least in our estimation, the corroborating testimony of Sir J. Banks, Bart. P.R.S. &c. by whom it was sent to the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 1793. It is a native of Mexico, South America; and like the Hemimerises,[A] Fuchsias, Chelones, &c. of that country, is very subject to damp; but being partly herbaceous, the root is most frequently preserved, although the upper part has perished. Though it requires the protection of a greenhouse in winter, it may be made an ornamental plant for the flower borders in autumn, by putting single cuttings, in small pots filled with rich earth, into the heat of a hotbed, early in March, they will be fit to transplant into the open ground the latter end of June, and will flower about August, continuing to blossom till destroyed by the frost; or if taken up and put into large pots, will flower till Christmas. Our figure was taken from a beautiful plant, in the collection of R. H. James, Esq. Grosvenor-place, in 1799.