in botany: A genus of the pentandra order, belonging to the monoeia class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 49th order, Compositae. The male calyx is common and pentaphyllous; the florets of the disk monopetalous: the female has five florets of the radius, each with two male florets behind it; the intermediate female superior; the seed is naked.

It has been much neglected in Europe, having on account of its smell been banished from our parterres. It is therefore indebted for its culture to the distinguished rank it holds among the Chinese flowers. The skill of the florists, and their continual care, have brought this plant to so great perfection, that Europeans scarcely know it. The elegance and lightness of its branches, the beautiful indentation of its leaves, the splendour and duration of its flowers, seem indeed to justify the florimania of the Chinese for this plant. They have, by their attention to its culture, procured more than 300 species of it: every year produces a new one. A list of the names of all these kinds would be equally tedious and disgusting; we shall only say in general, that in its flowers are united all the possible combinations of shapes and colours. Its leaves are no less various: some of them are thin, others thick; some are very small, and some large and broad; some are indented like those of the oak, while others resemble those of the cherry tree; some may be seen cut in the form of fins, and others are found serrated on the margin, and tapering towards the points.

Parthenium is propagated in China by seed, and by suckers, grafts, and slips. When the florists have a fine plant, they suffer the seeds to ripen, and about the end of autumn sow them in well-prepared earth. Some keep them in this manner during winter, others sow them in spring. Provided they are watered after the winter, they shoot forth, and grow rapidly. After the parthenium has flowered, all its branches are cut three inches from the root, the earth is hoed around, and a little dung is mixed with it; and when the cold begins... comes fever, the plant is covered with straw, or an inverted pot. Those that are in vases are transported to the greenhouse, where they are not watered. In spring they are uncovered and watered, and they shoot forth a number of stems; of these some florists leave only two or three, others pull up the stalk, together with the whole root, and divide it into several portions, which they transplant elsewhere. There are some who join two slips of different colours, in each of which, towards the bottom, they make a long notch, almost to the pith, and afterwards tie them together with packthread, that they may remain closely united: by these means they obtain beautiful flowers, variegated with whatever colours they choose.

Parthenium requires a good exposure, and fresh moist air that circulates freely: when shut up closely by four walls, it soon languishes. The earth in which it is planted ought to be rich, moist, and loamy, and prepared with great care. For refreshing it, the Chinese use only rain or river-water; and in spring-time, they mix with this water the excrements of silk-worms or the dung of their poultry; in summer, they leave the feathers of ducks or fowls to infuse in it for several days, after having thrown into it a little saltpetre; but in autumn they mix with the water a greater or smaller quantity of dried excrement reduced to powder, according as the plant appears more or less vigorous. During the great heats of summer, they water it morning and evening; but they moisten the leaves only in the morning: they also place small fragments of brick round its root, to prevent the water from prepping down the earth too much. All this attention may appear trifling; but it is certain that it is founded upon experience and observation, and it is only by the affluence of such minute care, that the patient and provident Chinese has been able to procure, from a wild and almost stinking plant, so beautiful and odoriferous flowers. The more common species are,

1. Hysterophorus. 2. Integrifolium.