Chironia Baccifera Berry-bearing Chironia

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

<p>Pentandria Monogynia.</p>

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

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<p><em>Cor.</em> rotata. <em>Pistillum</em> declinatum. <em>Stamina</em> tubo coroll&aelig; infidentia. <em>Anther&aelig;</em> demum spirales. <em>Peric.</em> 2-loculare. </p>

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

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<p>CHIRONIA <em>baccifera</em> frutescens baccifera. <em>Linn. Syst. Veget. ed. 14.</em> <em>Murr. p. 229.</em> <em>Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 258.</em></p>

<p>CENTAURIUM minus arborescens pulpiferum. <em>Comm. rar. 9. t. 9.</em></p>

<p>CENTAURIUM minus africanum arborescens angustifolium. <em>Old. afr. 26.</em> </p>

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<div> <img src="/images/flowers/img038tb.jpg" alt="" title="" height="400" width="257" /> No233. <br />

<a href="/images/flowers/img038.jpg">View larger image</a> </div>

<p>The <em>Chironia baccifera</em>, a native of Africa, is a plant not unfrequent in our greenhouses; its flowers are curious in their structure, of a lively hue, and suceeded by round seed-vessels, which, when ripe, have the appearance of red berries, whence its name of <em>baccata</em>; if we carefully examine these seed-vessels, we shall find that they are not properly berries, for on cutting them transversly, they are found to be hollow and to be divided into two cells (<em>vid. Pl.</em>) in which are contained small black seeds, whose surface is beautifully reticulated with impressed dots; the sides of the seed-vessel are fleshy, and do not appear to divide or split in any regular manner for the discharge of the seed; they must however be regarded rather as capsules than berries: in the genus <em>Hypericum</em>, the seed-vessels are found to vary in a somewhat similar manner; in this part of the fructification there is not, therefore, that deviation which has been supposed, but there is a very great one in the anther&aelig;, which do not ultimately become spiral.</p>

<p>This plant, which grows to the height of a foot and a half or two feet, becomes very bushy, rather too much so in point of ornament, and produces both flowers, and fruit, during most of the summer.</p>

<p>Though regarded as a greenhouse plant, it does not ripen its seeds well unless kept in the stove; is with difficulty raised from cuttings, from seeds readily, by which it requires to be frequently renovated.</p>

<p>Was cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1759. <em>Ait. Kew.</em></p>