genus the calyx exhibits a very singular phenomenon, when the flowering
is over, it increases in size, becomes fleshy, and finally pulpy,
containing the ripe seed, which however it does not wholly envelope;
thus from each cluster of flowers growing in the alae of the leaves are
produced so many berries, of a charming red colour, to which the plant
owes its beauty altogether, for the flowers are small, herbaceous, and
not distinctly visible to the naked eye; they can boast however of being
of the first class in the Linnean system _Monandria_, to which few
belong.

Strawberry Blite is a hardy annual, growing spontaneously in some parts
of France, Spain, and Tartary; is not a very old inhabitant of our
gardens, Mr. AITON mentioning it as being first cultivated by Mr. MILLER
in 1759. Its berries are produced from June to September; in their taste
they have nothing to recommend them, though not pleasant they are
harmless.

CLUSIUS we believe to be the first author who gives a figure and
description of it.

It affects a dry soil, and open situation; in such there is no necessity
to give any particular directions for its cultivation, as it comes up
readily from seed spontaneously scattered, so much so as sometimes to
prove a troublesome weed.

[277]

MAHERNIA PINNATA. WINGED MAHERNIA.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

_Cal._ 5-dentatus. _Petala_ 5. _Nectaria_ 5 obcordata, filamentis
supposita. _Caps._ 5-locularis.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

MAHERNIA _pinnata_, foliis tripartito pinnatifidis. _Linn. Syst.
Vegetab. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 308._ _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 398._

HERMANNIA foliis tripartitis, media pinnatifida. _Linn. Sp. Pl. ed.
3. p. 943._

HERMANNIA frutescens, folio multifido tenui, caule rubro. _Boerh.
Lugd. 1. p. 273._

LINNAEUS, in his _Spec. Pl._ regarded this plant as a species of
_Hermannia_; finding afterwards that it differed materially in its
fructification from that genus, he made a new one of it in his
_Mantissa_, by the name of _Mahernia_; still, however, the two genera
are very nearly related: one principal difference consists in the
nectaria of the _Mahernia_, which are very remarkable.

This species was introduced from the Cape, where it is a native, by Mr.
MASSON, in 1774, and is now very generally met with in our green-houses.
It produces its little bells, of a lively red when they first open, fr