Monadelphia Pentandria.

Generic Character.

Pentagyna. Caps. 5-locularis. Petala basi semitubulata, obliqua.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

HERMANNIA alnifolia foliis cuneiformibus lineatis plicatis crenato-emarginatis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 610. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 412.

ARBUSCULA africana tricapsularis ononidis vernÆ singulari folio. Pluk. Mant. 14. t. 239. f. 1.

Hermannia is a genus of plants named in honour of Dr. Paul Herman, a Dutch Botanist of great celebrity, author of the Paradisus Batavus, and other valuable works: twenty-six species are enumerated in the 13th edition of the Syst. NaturÆ of LinnÆus by Prof. Gmelin, and eight in the Hortus Kewensis of Mr. Aiton; most of those in the latter work are cultivated in the nurseries near town: they form a set of the more hardy greenhouse plants, grow readily, and flower freely; their blossoms are for the most part yellow, and have a considerable affinity with those of the Mahernia.

The present species flowers very early in the spring, from February to May, producing a great profusion of bloom during that period; is a native of the Cape, and was cultivated by Mr. Miller, in 1728.

It rarely ripens its seeds with us, but is readily increased by cuttings.

The nurserymen near town regard this plant as the grossularifolia of LinnÆus, calling another, equally common species, with longer and narrower leaves, alnifolia, and which does not appear to be described by LinnÆus or mentioned by Mr. Aiton; our plant accords exactly with the LinnÆan description of alnifolia, and there is we think no doubt of its being the alnifolia of the Hortus Kewensis, and Mr. Miller's Dictionary.