Baeckea virgata

(2127)

BAECKEA VIRGATA. TWIGGY BAECKEA

Class and Order.

Pentandria (Octandria. Smith.) Monogynia:

Generic Character.

Cal. infundibuliformis, 5-dentatus. Cor. 5-petala, Caps. 3—s. 4-locularis, polysperma, calyce tecta.

Specific Character and Synonyms.
Baekea virgata ; foliis lineari-lanceolatis pellucido-punctatis, pedunculis axillaribus umbelliferis. Bot. Repos. 598.
Baeckea virgata. Hort. Kew. Epit.
Leptospermum virgatum ; foliis oppositis lineari-lanceolatis. Forst. Gen. p. 48. Sweet Hort. suburban, p. 81.

Descr. Leaves opposite, crowded, linear-lanceolate ; faintly
three-nerved, dotted with pellucid glands. Peduncles axillary.
bearing a few-flowered umbel. Calyx superior, 5-toothed,
teeth distant, coloured. Cor. 5-petalled : petals roundish,
with a long narrow claw. Stamens from five to ten, shorter
than the claw of the petal, inserted at the base of the calycine
teeth. Five or ten appears to us the natural number,
but in the flowers we examined, the number was generally
five ; sometimes six, being two stamens to one of the calycine
teeth, and only one to the other four. Our specimen flowered
in the middle of December ; perhaps in a warmer season
there would have been two stamens to each of the teeth.
Filaments short, incurved, terminated with a gland, which
gives to the anthers the appearance of being 3-lobed ; but as
the gland soon dries up, to observe this the examination must
be made before the flower is expanded. The Germen is at
first concave at the crown, but afterward» becomes flat and
enlarged.
ВAEСKЕА, LEPTOSPERMUM, and FABRICIA, are very nearly allied, and all belong to the natural order of Myrti Indeed, except in the number of stamens, which seems also to be inconstant, we do not find any difference between this species and Leptospermum. With the Chinese species we have had no opportunity of comparing it. In our account of Fabricia laevigata, (vide No. 1304) by an error of the press, the Class is said to be Hexandria instead of Icosandria.

Native of New South Wales. Requires only to be protected from frost. Flowers from September to the end of December. Communicated by Mr. Lee, of the Hammersmith, Nursery.

Curtis's botanical magazine, or, flower-garden displayed: in which the most ornamental foreign plants, cultivated in the open ground, the green-house, and the stove, are accurately represented in their natural colours ...,

Table 2127, Volume 47, 1820

Grown at Monserrate 1861.