FEW works, perhaps, connected with Botany, treated especially as an elegant amusement, have enjoyed a more extensive or a more deserved share of reputation and popularity than the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE, commenced, and for many years so ably conducted, by the late Mr. Curtis. It was the first work of the kind that had ever been attempted in any country; though it has now met with imitators in many parts of Europe, and even in North America. The great expense, however, of keeping up complete sets of the entire stock of Fiftythree Volumes, and the heavy cost attending the purchase of the whole work to individuals who have not taken it from the commencement, have induced the present proprietor and conductor of the Botanical Magazine, Mr. Samuel Curtis, to resolve upon meeting the wishes of many lovers of Horticulture and Botany, Gardeners, and such as have it not in their power to procure the original edition, and to publish an entirely NEW EDITION of the OLD SERIES, on a more economical, but scarcely less beautiful, and in some respects more useful form. This new edition will be printed in royal octavo, on fine paper, and the plates will be half coloured. The descriptive part will be confined to what is necessary for the determination of the species, and the whole will be published in systematic order, commencing with the Clematis and Ranunculus Tribe, and following the arrangement of the celebrated DE CANDOLLE, as given in his "Prodromus.' There will be given at the head of the species, the characters of the CLASSES, ORDERS, and GENERA. Such remarks will be made upon their uses and properties and cultivation, derivation of generic names, &c. &c. as the subject may require; and the whole will be written in English. Any figure that may be requisite for the illustration of such Orders as are not given in the Old Series, will be selected from the New: so that the work will be an epitome of all that has been made known to Science, both by figures and descriptions, through the medium of the Botanical Magazine, during a period of forty-five years. A Number, price 1s. (or with the Plates full coloured, price 2s.) will appear twice in every month, containing four Plates accompanied by four pages of closely-printed Letter Press, more or less as the subject may require. A volume of Ninety-six Plates will thus appear every year. The Letter Press will be conducted by Dr. HOOKER, Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow; with the exception of what regards the cultivation of the species, which will invariably be supplied by Mr. CURTIS. "Mr. CURTIS and Dr. HOOKER are doing the gardening and botanical public a great service; for important as is the first edition of THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE to botanists and cultivators of flower plants, for the elucidation of their pursuit, its price makes it inaccessible to too many of them. The present edition goes to remedy this inconvenience. The first edition has, too, the fault of having the various species of a genus (where several species of a genus have been figured in the work) scattered through two, more, or many volumes : take the genus IRIS as an example. In the present edition, the species figured and described are to succeed each other in the natural order of their kindred relations. This circumstance would lead us much to prefer the new edition to the old. The first number was published on April 1, 1833, and a sight of it has given us pleasure. It contains a preface, in which is sketched an outline of those points in the structure of plants which are most relevant in determining their natural resemblances and affinities. In succession to this, the characters of DE CANDOLLE's first order, the RANUNCU LACEE, are given, and those of the first tribe in it, the CLEMATIDEE; then follow the characters of the genus Clematis, and pictures and descriptions of four species of it."-Loudon's Gardener's Magazine. HAB. Hungary; inhabiting warm springs, and flourishing in a heat equal to 95° of Fahrenheit. ST. Fl. Summer. This species, as well as the East Indian N. pubescens, Willd., has been long confounded with the Egyptian Water-Lily, or Lotus (N. Lotus, L.), from the seeds of which the Egyptians prepared a kind of bread. Indeed the differences seem to be very slight, depending on the greater or less degree of pubescence on the foliage. 5. N. VERSICOLOR (Changeable Water-Lily); leaves peltate their whole margins and within the lobes sinuato-dentate pustulate with glands glabrous on both sides. (TAB. CII.)-Roxb. in Bot. Mag. ed. 1. t. 1189. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 115. CULTURE. "Is easily propagated both by seeds, which it ripens with us, and by its tubers, which it produces in a manner very different from its allied species, as we are informed by Mr. Anderson, the intelligent and skilful director of Mr. Vere's garden, where our drawing was taken in July last. According to his observation, during the vigorous growth of the plant, a numerous host of young bulbs or tubers issue from the parent stock, to which they adhere only by a slender thread. They are round, and of very various sizes, from that of a hazel-nut to a small seed, and when the leaves decay, they fall off; and if properly treated, will readily vegetate and produce as many young plants, several of which will blossom the next season. The original tuber, which is of a conical shape, though it appears sound for a length of time, does not put forth any fresh leaves, but gradually decays from the base inwards."-Bot. Mag. ed. 1., published 1809. HAB. Bengal. ST. Fl. Summer. There are two varieties of this plant in one, the flowers are perfectly white; in the other, variously shaded with pink. 6. N. ODORATA (Sweet-scented Water-Lily); leaves cordate entire pubescent on the nerves and veins beneath, stigma of 16-20 rays. (TAB. CIII.)-Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. p. 227. Sims in Curt. Bot. Mag. ed. 1. t. 819. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 116.-N. albá. Mich. CULTURE. This is generally considered more hardy than most of the exotic species; sufficiently so to bear our winters in water of proper depth: it is increased by dividing the roots; and is a desirable plant on account of its fragrance. Q HAB. North America, from Canada to Carolina. H. Fl. Sum mer. 7. N. MINOR (Lesser sweet-scented Water-Lily); leaves cordate entire pubescent on the nerves and veins beneath, peduncles and petioles hairy, stigma of 16-20 rays. (TAB. CIV.)—De Cand. Syst. Veget. v. 2. p. 58. Prodr. v. 1. p. 116.-N. odorata, var. ß. minor. Sims in Curt. Bot. Mag. ed. 1. t. 1652. CULTURE. So much similarity exists betwixt this and the preceding, that the treatment and culture may be considered the same in every respect. HAB. North America. H. Fl. Summer. This again seems to be separated from N. odorata on very trivial grounds. 8. N. NITIDA (Cup-flowered Water-Lily); leaves suborbicular entire, the lobes very obtuse, the veins sunk beneath, petals obtuse, stigma of 12-20 rays. (TAB. CV.)-Sims in Curt. Bot. Mag. ed. 1. t. 1359. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 116. CULTURE. The similarity of this to the two preceding subjects, at first sight, might mislead; but on the authority of Mr. Anderson, whose experience in the culture of this tribe of beautiful, but illunderstood plants is very great, this species is quite distinct from the others, in having a more perpendicular root-stock, while the two former spread horizontally along the mud. Mr. Anderson found the roots of many of the species to afford the most decidedly discriminating characters in this Genus; but the present species being scentless and tender indicates a specific difference. HAB. Siberia, Lakes of the river Lena, and in Dauria. G. Fl. August. 9. N. PYGMEA (Smallest fragrant Water-Lily); leaves cordate entire, nerves sunk beneath, petals acute, stigma eight-rayed. (TAB. CVI.) Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. v. 3. p. 293. Sims in Curt. Bot. Mag. ed. 1. t. 1525. De Cand. Prodr. v. 1. p. 116. CULTURE. The smallest of its tribe; but requiring the same kind of treatment with the other more tender kinds; and propagated by dividing its roots. It may be kept in a moderately-sized pot, in a large pan of water, in the stove. HAB. Eastern Siberia and China. ST. Fl. August. |