the Holly-hock: A genus of the polyandria order, belonging to the monodelphia class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 37th order, Columniferae. The characters are: The calyx is a double perianthium, monophyllous and persistent; the exterior one fixed, the interior half fixed; the corolla consists of five petals, coalesced at the base, heart-shaped inversely, and expanding; the stamens consist of numerous filaments, coalesced below into a five-cornered cylinder, loose above, and inserted into the corolla; the anthers are kidney-shaped; the pistillum has a roundish germen; a short cylindric style; and numerous bristly stigmata the length of the style; the pericarpium consists of many arilli, jointed into a verticillum about a columnar depressed receptacle; the seeds are solitary, reniform, and depressed.

Species. Although Linnaeus mentions two distinct species of this genus, viz., the rosea and ficifolia, he thinks, that the latter may perhaps be only a variety of the former; but Mr Miller affirms them to be distinct species, whose difference in the form of their leaves always continues. The leaves of the first sort are roundish, and cut at their extremities into angles; those of the second are deeply cut into six or seven segments, so as to resemble a hand. Cultivation produces almost an infinite variety of this plant, such as double-flowered, single-flowered, deep red, pale red, blackish red, white, purple, yellow, and flesh-colour. The first species is a native of China, the second grows also in Iltria. Tho' natives of warm countries, they are hardly enough to thrive in the open air in Britain, and have for many years been some of the greatest ornaments in gardens, towards the end of summer; but they have the inconvenience of growing too large for small gardens, and requiring tall stakes to secure them from being broken by strong winds. In large gardens, however, when properly disposed, they make a fine appearance; for as their spikes of flowers grow very tall, there will be a succession of them on the same stems more than two months: the flowers on the lower part of the spike appear in July; and as their stalks advance, new flowers are produced till near the end of September. When planted in good ground, the stalks will often rise to the height of eight or nine feet; so that near fix feet of each will be garnished with flowers, which, when double and of good colours, make a very beautiful appearance.

Culture. The holly-hock is propagated by seeds, which should be carefully saved from those plants whose flowers are double and of the best colours; for though the duplicity of the flowers, as well as their colour, are only accidental properties, yet the young plants will produce nearly the same kind of flowers with those from which the seeds are taken, provided no plants with single or bad-coloured flowers are permitted to grow near them; and as soon as such appear they ought to be removed from the good ones, that their farina may not spread into the others, which would cause them to degenerate. The seeds ought to be gathered very dry, and remain in their capsules until spring; but care must be taken that no wet comes to them in winter, otherwise the covers would turn mouldy, and spoil their contents.—They should be sown in drills, about the middle of April, on a bed of light earth, and covered with earth of the same kind about half an inch deep. When the plants have put out six or eight leaves, they should be transplanted into nursery-beds, observing to water them until they have taken good root; after which they will require no farther care, but to keep them clean from weeds till October, when they should be transplanted where they are to remain.