Polygala Heisteria. Heath-Leaved Milkwort.

Class and Order.

Diadelphia Octandria.

Generic Character.

Cal. 5-phyllus: foliolis 2 majoribus alÆformibus, ante maturitatem seminis coloratis. Capsula obcordata 2-locularis, Semina solitaria.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

POLYGALA Heisteria floribus imberbibus lateralibus, caule arborescente, foliis triquetris mucronato-spinosis. Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 639. Ait. Kew. v. 3. p. 6.

SPARTIUM africanum frutescens ericÆ folio. Comm. Hort. 2. p. 193. t. 97.

THYMBRA capensis nepetÆ Theophrasti foliis aculeatis flore parvo purpureo. Pluk. Alm. 366. t. 229. f. 5.

HEISTERIA. Hort. Cliff. 352.

After receiving various names, this plant has been finally placed by LinnÆus among the Milkworts; it retains the trivial name of Heisteria, instead of the generic one previously bestowed on it, in honour of Prof. Heister, the celebrated German Surgeon.

In Holland it appears to have been long since known; but was a stranger here, till introduced from the Cape, by Mr. Masson, in 1787. Ait. Kew.

In the course of a few years it becomes a shrub of considerable size, equalling a small furze bush, to which, in its habit, it bears a distant resemblance; and furze-leaved, in our humble opinion, would have been a more expressive name than heath-leaved, which Mr. Aiton has given it in accordance with Commelin's idea.

The purple of the flowers is brilliant in the extreme, and as those are plentifully produced almost the year through, it has very generally obtained a place in collections of greenhouse plants about London.

It is commonly increased by cuttings, but not easily.

---