Fagonia Cretica Cretian Fagonia

<p><em>Class and Order.</em></p>

<p>Decandria Monogynia.</p>

<p><em>Generic Character.</em></p>

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<p><em>Cal.</em> 5-phyllus. <em>Petala</em> 5, cordata. <em>Caps.</em> 5-locularis, 10-valvisi, loculis 1-spermis. </p>

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<p><em>Specific Character and Synonyms.</em></p>

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<p>FAGONIA <em>cretica</em> spinosa, foliolis lanceolatis planis l&aelig;vibus. <em>Linn. Sp. Pl. ed 3. p. 553.</em> <em>Mant. p. 380.</em> <em>Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14.</em> <em>Murr. p. 401.</em> <em>Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 62.</em></p>

<p>TRIFOLIUM spinosum Creticum. <em>Clus. Hist. 2. p. 242. f.</em> <em>Bauh. Pin. p. 330.</em></p>

<p>FAGONIA cretica spinosa. <em>Tourn. Inst. p. 265.</em> </p>

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<div> <img src="/images/flowers/img056tb.jpg" alt="" title="" height="400" width="257" /> No241. <br />

<a href="/images/flowers/img056.jpg">View larger image</a> </div>

<p>Clusius is the first author who has described and figured this plant, he is very minute in his description of it, noticing the exact number of its stamina; it is the more surprising, therefore, that he should have so little idea of generic character, as to rank it with the trefoils merely from the form of its leaves: Tournefort, born to illustrate the genera of plants, named it <em>Fagonia</em> in honour of his friend and patron, Mons. Fagon, privy counsellor and consulting physician to Lewis XIV.</p>

<p>This species is a native of the island of Candia, and was cultivated here by Mr. Miller, in 1739; it is an annual, and as it does not perfect its seeds with us in the open air, unless in very favourable seasons, it is usually treated as a green-house plant, its seeds should be sown in the autumn, as it thereby flowers earlier, and ripe seeds are with more certainty obtained.</p>

<p>It blossoms from June to August.</p>

<p>The plant from which our drawing was made, flowered this season in the very rich collection of Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith.</p>

<p>Its branches are usually procumbent, about a foot in length, and require, if the plant be kept in a pot, to be tied up to a stick.</p>