AMETHYSTEA, amethyst, so called from the amethystine colours of the flow ers, in botany, a geniis of the Diandria Monogynia class ; the characters are, that the calyx is a perianthium one-leafed, tube bell-shaped, angular, semiquinque fid, subequal, acuminate, and permanent; the corolla is one-petalled, ringent, little longer than the calyx ; border five-parted and subequal ; upper lip erect, roundish, 'concave, two-parted, gaping; lower three parted ; the sides rounded, erect, shorter; the middle quite entire, concave, the length of the upper lip ; the staminahave filaments, filifurm, approximating, under the upper lip, and longer than it ; anthers simple and roundish ; the pistillum is a quadrificl germ, style size of the stamens, stigmas two, and acute ; no pericarpium, but the calyx becomes more bell-shaped and spreading ; the seeds are four, short er than the calyx ; obtuse, and angular within. There is one species, viz. A.
eterulia, mountain upright A. which is a native of the mountains in Siberia, from whence the seeds were sent to the Impe rial garden at Petersburgh, and in 1759 to Chelsea garden, where the plants annu ally produce seeds. It is annual, and bath an upright stalk, which rises abouta foot high, and towards the top puts out two or three small lateral branches; these are garnished with small trifid leaves, sawed on their edges, and of a very dark green colour; at the extremity- of the branches the flowers are produced in small umbels ; these are of a fine blue co lour, Sti are also the upper part of the branches, and the leaves imniediately an der the umbel; so that though the flowers are small, yet, from their colour, with that of the upper part of the stalks, the plants make a pretty appearance during their continuance in flower.