Stevia
(named after Peter James Esteve, M.D., Professor of Botany at Valencia, in the sixteenth century). ORD. Compositae. A genus of stove, greenhouse, or hardy herbs or sub-shrubs, rarely diffuse. More than 100 species have been described by various authors, but the number may be reduced; they inhabit the warmer parts of America. Flower-heads white or purplish, paniculate or corymbose; involucre cylindrical; bracts five or six; receptacle flat, naked; florets five, equal, regular, five-cleft, tubular; achenes narrow; pappus paleae or bristles two or many. Leaves opposite, or the upper ones alternate, often triple-nerved and serrated, sometimes trisected or entire. The under-mentioned species are rather pretty, perennial herbs, and except where otherwise stated, all succeed in the open flower-border, in summer. The protection of a frame is necessary in severe weather. Propagation may be effected by seeds, by cuttings, or by divisions.
S. breviaristata (short-awned). fl.-heads of a beautiful rose-colour, disposed in a dense corymb; florets with a long tube and a limb of five spreading segments; pappus of three rather strong, rigid crowns, short. July. l. opposite, nearly glabrous, coarsely serrated, attenuated, but not petiolate; upper ones lanceolate. Branches downy. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Tucuman, 1836. Stove. (B. M. 3792.) S. Eupatoria (Hemp Agrimony-like). fl.-heads in fastigiate, rather loose corymbs; florets white, flesh-coloured in the tube, twice as long as the involucre. August. l. lanceolate, somewhat attenuated into the petioles, three-nerved, the upper ones obsoletely serrated. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1826. (B. M. 1849.) SYN. S. punctata.
S. fascicularis (fascicled). A synonym of S. rhombifolia. S. hyssopifolia (Hyssop-leaved). A synonym of S. paniculata. S. ivaefolia (Iva-leaved). A synonym of S. serrata.
S. ovata (ovate-leaved). fl.-heads white, in rather compact, fastigiate cor?? August. l. ovate, serrated, cuneate at base, entire; upper ones oblong, sub-entire. Stem erect, paniculate. h. 2ft. Mexico, 1816. S. paniculata (paniculate). fl.-heads white, the tubes of the ray florets, which are longer than the involucre, purplish; peduncles slightly branched, three or four-headed, corymbose. August. l., lowest ones opposite, ovate; upper ones alternate, ovate-oblong, serrated, cuneate at base, entire, the uppermost ones linear-lanceolate. Stem erect, shortly pubescent, paniculate. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1824. (B. M. 1861, under name of S. hyssopifolia.) S. pedata (pedate-leaved). fl.-heads loosely corymbose; involucre purplish; florets white, all tubular; anthers dark purple. July to September. l. alternate, pedate, generally seven-cleft; leaflets linear, quite entire, with revolute margins; petioles channelled, trifid. Stem erect, branched towards the top. h. 1ft. Mexico, 1803. (B. M. 2040.) The correct name of this plant is Florestina pedata.
S. pubescens (downy). fl.-heads purple; involucre pubescent; pappus paleaceous; corymbs fastigiate, rather dense. August. l., lower ones opposite, sub-spathulate, toothed at apex, attenuated into the petioles; upper ones scattered, linear, subentire. Stem simple, somewhat erect, pubescent. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1823.
S. punctata (dotted). A synonym of S. Eupatoria.
S. purpurea (purple). fl.-heads purple, in slightly coarctate corymbs; involucre pale greenish; pappus paleaceous and three-awned. August. l. lanceolate, alternate; lower ones obovate, channelled, narrowed into the petioles, serrulated at apex. Stem erect, velvety-pubescent, much-branched. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1812. (B. R. 93, under name of S. Eupatoria.) S. rhombifolia (rhomb-leaved). fl.-heads white or yellow and white, rarely red, in fascicles at the tips of the branches. September. l., lower ones rhomboid-ovate, crenate-serrated; upper ones often alternate, narrower, and more entire. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1827. (B. R. xxiv. 59, under name of S. fascicularis.) S. serrata (saw-edged). fl.-heads white or pink, in fastigiate corymbs; pappus bristly, two or often three-awned. August. l. alternate, somewhat fascicled, linear-lanceolate, slightly glabrous, serrated, entire at base and attenuated into the petioles. Stem erect, branched, pubescent. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1827. SYN. S. ivaefolia.
S. trachelioides (Throatwort-like). fl.-heads purple; involucral scales downy, mucronate-acuminate; pappus crown-like, very short; corymbs clustered, many-headed. August. l. of the lower branches opposite, cuneate at base or entire, sessile; the rest broadly ovate, slightly acute, deeply crenate-serrate, hairy on both sides. Stem erect, densely velvety-pubescent. h. 2 1/2ft. Mexico, 1839. Greenhouse. (B. M. 3856.)