MA'DIA EL'EGANS.

ELEGANT MADIA.

Order.

SUPERPLOA.

Natural Order.

COMPOSITE.

Native of

Height.

Flowers in

Duration.

Introduced

America .

2 feet.

| July, Sept.

Annual.

in 1831.

No. 429.

The generic name, Madia, is from the word Madi;a term employed by the Chilians, to distinguishone of the species of this genus.

This newly-introduced annual, though not of ex-ceedingly splendid character, attracted considera-ble attention during the past summer. Its flowersare really pleasing; but its petals, when fully ex-posed to the sun, curl and twist, exhibiting a halfwithered appearance; however, when evening ar-rives, its cooling influence exhilarates the Madiaelegans, and the next morning we meet it in fresh-ness and beauty. Its mode of inflorescence shouldnot pass unnoticed. Its first blossom is producedat the summit of its leading stem; others open insuccession downwards. Its lateral shoots, in likemanner, are not first produced on the oldest partof the stem, near the bottom, but at the top of theleader; these, too, flower in like manner. Second-ary laterals exhibit the same peculiarity.

It requires only the usual treatment of annuals.We would suggest the propriety of giving it a shadysituation, that its flowers may the more regularlycontinue expanded.

108 Bot. Reg. 1458.

Class.

SYNGENESIA.