in botany, a genus of the trigynia order, belonging to the decandria class of plants; of which there are seven

Species. 1. The angulosa, with a shrubby climbing stalk, is a native of Jamaica. It twirls round the neighbouring trees, raising itself to their very top. It is garnished with leaves as large as those of the bay-tree, and of the same thickness: the flowers are produced in long spikes growing at the end of the branches, and are succeeded by two or three winged seeds like those of the greater maple. 2. The fulgens, with smooth oval leaves, is likewise a native of Jamaica and other warm parts of America. It hath slender winding stalks which rise five or six feet high; the flowers grow in a round bunch at the extremity of the branches: they are of a brownish yellow colour; and are also succeeded by winged seeds, but smaller, and with narrower wings, than the former. 3. The bracteata, with climbing diffused branches, grows naturally about Carthagena in South America. It sends out many branches which divide again into others, growing without order, and become very bushy upward, sending forth tendrils, by which they fasten themselves to the neighbouring trees and mount to a great height; these have stiff oval leaves ending in a point. The flowers are produced in loose spikes at the end of the branches, and are first of a gold colour, fading afterwards to a scarlet. They are succeeded by seeds of the same shape with the former; but slender, thin, and for the most part single.

4. The lauriflora is a native of Campeachy. It hath many irregular climbing stalks, which fasten themselves to the neighbouring trees, and rise to a great height. The leaves are heart-shaped, and hairy on their under side, where they have many transverse ribs. The flowers come out thinly from the side of the branches; they are of a pale yellow colour, and succeeded by large winged seeds which are double. 5. The aculeata, with spikes of flowers growing from the sides of the branches, is a native of Tolou in New Spain. It hath strong woody stalks, covered with an ash-coloured bark, and divided into many branches garnished with winged leaves, composed of five or six pair of small ones without their under side: from the wings of the leaves are produced slender bunches of flowers growing in a raceme like those of the currant-bush, and are of a purplish colour. They are succeeded by broad winged seeds growing erect. 6. The bengalensis is a native of the East Indies, as also of the warm parts of America. It hath strong woody stalks, which twine round the neighbouring trees, and sometimes rise 20 feet high. It hath oblong pointed leaves, like those of the bay-tree, growing by pairs opposite: from the wings of the leaves the flowers are produced in loose spikes growing upon long footstalks; they are of a blue colour, and are succeeded by slender winged seeds which spread open from each other. 7. The purpurea very much resembles the fifth, and is a native of the same country.

Culture. All these plants require to be kept in a bark stove, on account of their being natives of warm climates. They are propagated by seeds, which must be procured from those places where they are natives. The treatment of them differs in nothing material from that of other hot-bed plants.