The Botanical Magazine/Volume 1/2

by William Curtis

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Rudbeckia purpurea. Purple Rudbeckia.

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

Class and Order.

Syngenesia Polygamia Frustranea.

Generic Character.

Receptaculum paleaceum, conicum. Pappus margine quadri-dentato. Calyx duplici ordine squamarum.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

RUDBECKIA purpurea foliis lanceolato-ovatis alternis indivisis, radii petalis bifidis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. p. 651. Sp. Pl. p. 1280.

DRACUNCULUS virginianus latifolius, petalis florum longissimis purpurascentibus. Moris. Hist. 3. p. 42. f. 6 t. 9. f. 1.

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This species differs from the other plants of the genus, in the colour of its outermost petals, which are long, narrow, purple, and pendulous, and not unaptly resemble small pieces of red tape. Notwithstanding it is a native of the warm climates Carolina and Virginia, it succeeds very well with us in an open border: but, as Mr. Miller very justly observes, it will always be prudent to shelter two or three plants under a common hot-bed frame in winter, to preserve the kind, because in very severe winters, those in the open air are sometimes killed. It flowers in July. As it rarely ripens its seeds with us, the only mode of propagating it, is by parting the roots; but in that way the plant does not admit of much increase.