THE ORDER ONAGRACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FUCHSIA; ŒNOTHERA, OR THE EVENING TREE-PRIMROSE; GODETIA; EPILOBIUM, OR THE FRENCH WILLOW-HERB; AND CLARKIA.
The type of this order is considered to be the common evening Tree-primrose (Œnothera biennis), and it takes its name from Onagra, the name given by Tournefort to the genus. The Fuchsia seems so unlike the Œnothera, that it appears difficult to any but a botanist to trace the connexion between them; but, botanically, they agree in the position of the ovary, which in both is so placed as to seem rather to belong to the flower-stalk than to the flower; and this peculiarity is found in all the genera included in the order. The parts of the flowers are also always either two, four, eight, or twelve; as, for example, there are four petals and eight stamens in both the Fuchsia and the Œnothera.
THE GENUS FUCHSIA.
Little more than fifty years ago, the first Fuchsia was introduced into England; and we are told that small plants of it were sold at a guinea each. Now more than twenty species, and innumerable hybrids and varieties, are in common cultivation, and we find them not only in greenhouses and windows, but planted in the open air as common border shrubs. The first Fuchsia seen in England was F. coccinea, introduced in 1788; and this species is still common in our gardens. It was followed about 1796 by F. lycoides; and after that no other species was introduced till 1821, since when a full tide of Fuchsias has kept pouring in upon our gardens, from the different parts of Mexico, South America, and New Zealand, to the present time.
All the Fuchsias were formerly divided into two sections; the plants in one of which having the stamens and pistil concealed, and those in the other having the stamens and style exserted, that is, projecting beyond the other parts of the flower. The first division comprises all the small-flowered kinds; such as F. microphylla, thymifolia, cylindracea, and bacillaris, all which have the lobes of the calyx short, and the petals partially concealed. F. parviflora belongs to this division, but it is distinguished by its glaucous leaves with an entire margin; and F. lycoides is also included in it; though this last seems to form the connecting link between the two sections, as both its petals and its style and stamens are partially exposed. The second division comprises all the kinds which have long projecting stamens.
As the general arrangement of the parts of the flower is nearly the same in both divisions, fig. 31, which represents the section of a flower of F. cylindracea, from the Botanical Register, will give my readers a clear idea of the botanical construction of the Fuchsia. In this figure, a shows two cells of the ovary (which when entire
Fig. 31.—Section of the flower of Fuchsia cylindracea. is four-celled, opening when ripe into four valves), with the seeds attached to a central placenta. This ovary is surrounded and protected by the dilated disk, which also serves as a lining to the tubular part of the calyx, b. The anthers, in this division, have very short filaments, which are inserted in the lining of the calyx, as shown at c; d is the style, which, in fact, consists of four styles united together, and which divides near the apex into four stigmas; e e are two of the four lobes of the calyx; and f is one of the four petals.
In the second division, of which F. coccinea may be considered the type, the calyx and the corolla are of different colours. In fig. 32, which shows a flower of F. discolor, the Port Famine Fuchsia, the calyx (a) is scarlet and the most ornamental part of the flower, while the petals (b) are purple, and wrapped over each
