Strategic writing: multimedia writing for public relations, advertising and more 4th edition charles
Writing: Multimedia Writing for Public Relations, Advertising and More 4th Edition Charles Marsh
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Public Relations: A Values-Driven Approach 6th Edition
In its fourth edition, Strategic Writing emphasizes the goal-oriented mission of high-quality public relations and media writing with clear, concise instructions for more than 40 types of documents. This multidisciplinary text covers writing for public relations, advertising, sales and marketing, and business communication In addition, it includes chapters on topics such as diversity, ethics and the legal aspects of strategic writing. Featuring a spiral binding, examples for each document and a user-friendly “recipe” approach, Strategic Writing is ideal for undergraduate PR and advertising writing classes that take an interdisciplinary approach This new edition devotes particular attention throughout to social media and writinginthedigitalrealmandoffersnewandupdatedonlineresourcesforstudentsandinstructors.
CharlesMarsh is the Oscar Stauffer Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas Hisprimaryareasofresearchinvolvepublicrelations,ethicsandclassicalrhetoric
David W. Guth is associate professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas. His areas of special research interest are crisis communication, politicalcommunicationandpublicrelationshistory
BonniePooveyShort was founder of Short Solutions, an award-winning editorial and creative services firm that specialized in the healthcare field. Though now retired, she also taught at the university level and served ascommunicationscoordinatorforaschooldistrict.
New technology continues to revolutionize the world of strategic communication The fourth edition of Strategic Writing: Multimedia Writing for Public Relations, Advertising and More reflects these changes. In additiontoaline-by-linerevisionandupdatedexamples,thiseditionfeaturesthesenewsections:
WritingforSocialMedia
SocialMediainPublicRelations
DigitalNewsrooms
SocialMediainAdvertising
SocialMediainSalesandMarketing
ContentMarketing
SocialMediainBusinessCommunication
In addition, based on new research and requests from professors who use this textbook, we ’ ve updated and often expanded instructions for every document in this book Digital communications and social media are transforming the media of strategic writing, and this new edition reflects that reality. (Actually, we had planned to bullet-point all the updates and expansions here but the list is just too long Every document from news releases to strategic message planners to marketing communication plans has been updated to reflectcurrentusage.)
One thing that hasn’t changed is the book’s closing focus on grammar and style It remains our hope that the appendices will allow a professor simply to write “PM3,” for example, on a student’s assignment rather thanexplainingatlengththewondrousnatureofthecommasplice.
Once upon a time (longer ago than we want to admit), the three authors of this book were young professionals Our careers took us through jobs with corporations, government bureaus, nonprofit organizations and marketing agencies in addition to freelance work. Then we went crazy (according to some) and decided to become professors As professors, we quickly learned three things about textbooks that teach writingforsuchcareers Althoughtherearemanygoodbooks,
As professionals, we hadn’t been limited to just one area of writing All of us wrote speeches (public relations), advertisements (advertising), brochures (sales and marketing), business reports (business communication)andmore Wewroteforprint,forvideoand,morerecently,foronlineandsocialmedia We believe that kind of multidisciplinary, multimedia convergence is standard for today’s writers We wanted a bookthatpreparedstudentsforthatdiversity.
As professionals, we worked on tight deadlines Therefore, we wanted a book that got right to the point
For example, if your professor assigns a social media news release that’s due in 90 minutes, we wanted you to have a book that offered a clear set of instructions a recipe, basically for writing that document We wanted a book that you could use as a desktop reference either digital or paper while you wrote. And we wantedabookyoucouldtaketothejobaftergraduation.
Finally, we wanted a book that emphasized the importance of strategy As young professionals, we weren’t alwayssurewhywewerewritingwhat we were writing. Sometimes we wrote documents just because the boss told us to; we didn’t always examine why we were writing those documents. We didn’t always wonder how thosedocumentshelpedmoveourorganizationtowardtheachievementofitsgoals Wewantyoutobebetter than that. We want you to realize that, ideally, every business document you write whether it’s a business reportoratweet advancestheorganizationtowardaspecificbusinessgoal.Wewantyoutounderstandthat every document should aim at a desired effect We even want to help you identify what the goal-oriented messageofeachdocumentshouldbe.Ournameforthisgoal-orientedwritingisstrategicwriting.Wedescribe strategicwritinginSection1.
HowThisBookIsOrganized
We’vedividedthisbookintofivesections:
The first section gives you the background on strategic writing. It’s packed with information, but we ’ ve triedtokeepeachsegmentshort
Ofcourse,somedocuments podcasts,brochuresandtweets,forexample couldfitintoeachofthesefour professional categories. The book concludes with four appendices that offer guidelines for punctuation, grammar,styleandoralpresentations
We hope the purpose of this book is clear: It explains strategic writing It offers instructions recipes for dozensofdifferentstrategicdocuments.Anditoffershelpwithpunctuation,grammarandstyle.It’sdesigned tobeauser-friendlytoolthathelpsmakeyouaneffectivewriter
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the many people who helped make this book possible, including Dean Ann Brill and the faculty, staff and students of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationsattheUniversityofKansas
As the book progressed from draft to draft, we greatly appreciated the educators and professionals who generouslyofferedadvice:DanaNolfe,KateAmes,DarioBernardini,GarnetButchart,PaulaKeaveney,Amy Suen, Kathy Menzie, Pamela Jo Brubaker, Ellen Andrews Knodt, Amy E Bonebright, Lori Melton McKinnon,CatherineMezera,SianRees,AutumnMillerandNerissaYoung Inmovingfrommanuscriptto the book you ’ re now reading, we relied on the indispensable expertise of the team at Routledge and Florence Production,particularlyLauraBriskman,NicoleSalazarandJoshCurtis And,asalways,theauthorsthanktheirfamiliesforloveandpatience
Partofgoodcommunicationisfeedback,andweinviteyoutowriteuswithquestionsorcommentsonthis book
Strategic writing is goal-oriented writing Well-managed organizations have specific, written goals they strive toachieve.Strategicwritinghelpsthoseorganizationsachievethosegoals.
Another title for this book could be WritingthatHelpsOrganizationsAchieveTheirSpecificBusinessGoals but that’s too long We prefer Strategic Writing In the paragraphs that follow, we’ll further explain what we meanbystrategicwriting.Rightnow,however,you’llestablishasolidfoundationinthisexcitingprofessionif youfocusonthefollowingkeyidea:Wheneveryouwriteaspecificdocumentforpublicrelations,advertising, businesscommunicationorsalesandmarketing,youshouldknowthepurposeofthedocumentandhowthat purpose relates to a specific organizational goal. Imagine what a successful strategic writer you’ll become if everydocumentyouproducemovesyourorganizationclosertothefulfillmentofitsspecificgoals
The word strategy itself comes to English from Greek In Greek, strategos means militaryleader or general As a strategic writer, you ’ re like a general: With each document, you direct your ideas, words and other multimedia elements on a specific mission Most dictionaries define the word strategy as meaning something like“plannedactionsinsupportofaparticularpolicy”Instrategicwriting,your“plannedactions”involvethe processofwriting,andthe“particularpolicy”isthebusinessgoalyou’rehelpingtoachieve.
As a strategic writer, you should be familiar with business goals, so let’s examine where they come from Many organizations have a values statement, a brief set of core values that ideally guide their actions Those general values often lead to a mission statement that more precisely describes the organization’s purpose. In ordertofulfillthatmission,organizationsusuallycreateannualbusinessgoals
As a strategic writer, your job is to help your organization achieve its values-driven, mission-related goals That sounds like a big job and it is. If you ’ re writing a multimedia newsletter story, you need to know what business goal or goals your story and the newsletter are helping to achieve The same is true for a mobile ad and a content-marketing video Ideally, everything you write on behalf of your organization moves it toward thefulfillmentofitsmission.
Your communication skills will be particularly important to your organization: To achieve their goals, organizationsrelypartlyonresourcescontrolledbyothergroups Forexample,nonprofitorganizationsrelyin part on the resource of contributions made by donors. For-profit companies rely on the resource of purchases made by customers Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations depend on the resource of fair coverage that the news media hold In every organization, top management relies on the resource of productivity held by other employees. Your mission as a strategic writer is to secure those resources through effective communication Much of your work as a strategic writer will involve building productive relationships with resourceholders
In building those relationships, the documents that you produce can be divided into two groups: onstrategy and off-strategy On-strategy documents remain focused on a clear message that helps an organization achieve a particular goal or goals Off-strategy documents fail to connect with business goals
Either they began with no consideration of business goals, or they attempted but failed to create a goalorientedmessage Off-strategydocumentscanbeworsethanawasteoftime Theirnonstrategicmessagescan confuse target audiences, who become unsure about what message you ’ re trying to send and what kind of relationshipyouseek.
We’ll close this chapter with some cold, hard truth Although strategic writing is the ideal for successful organizations, it’s not always the practice. Some organizations lack leaders who understand the importance of strategic communications; other organizations become distracted and overwhelmed by the many demands of successfulmanagement;stillothersmaylackwriterswithyourknowledgeandskills Theauthorsofthisbook often receive documents from our graduates. Sometimes a former student will include a note that says somethinglikethis:“Iknowthisisoff-strategy,buttheclientinsisted”or“Thisseemsoff-strategytome,but mybossmademedoitthiswaybecauseit’showwe’vealwaysdoneit”
As young professionals, we encountered the same problems. We’ve been there, and we sympathize. Our best advice is to try some strategic communication with your boss and your clients. Surely they want to succeed If you can politely illuminate the advantages of strategic writing (without sounding like a pushy know-it-all),youmaysucceedintransformingyourorganization’scommunications.
On-strategy:That’sourmessage.
1B TheImportanceofGoodWriting
The authors of this book have lost count of the dozens and dozens of employers (your future bosses) we ’ ve interviewed. And those professionals all say the same thing: “Please give me someone who can write!” Yes, employers want diplomatic team players And they want hard-working graduates with social media experience Buttheyalmostalwaysbeginbyaskingforgoodwriters
A few years ago, we secretly studied the guest speakers we brought into our classes to see what job skills theystressedtostudents Wegaveupthestudywhen,afterseveraldozenspeakers,itbecameclearthatalmost allputgoodwritingatthetopofthelist
We’ve noticed a similar trend in surveys of employers that list necessary job skills for success in strategic communicationsprofessionssuchaspublicrelations Good,strategic,multimediawritingusuallytopsthelist
This book is all about helping you become a first-rate strategic writer As you already know, strategic writing involves delivering goal-oriented messages messages that are on-strategy. Strategic writing also involves carefully crafted sentences You don’t want to distract your audiences with bad grammar, sloppiness or wordiness The appendices of this book contain guidelines on punctuation, grammar, style, editing and proofreading.Wehopeyou’llreviewthose.Whatfollowsherearetipsforstrengtheningsentences.
10TIPSFORWRITINGBETTERSENTENCES
Challengetobeverbs: Challenge every appearance of am, is, was, were, be, being, been and every other formofthetobeinfinitive Sometimesatobeverbbestsuitstheneedsofasentence,butoftenyoucan findastronger,moreevocativeverb
Original
Hewillbeagoodcommunicator
Weareinvitingyou
Revision
Hewillcommunicatewell
Weinviteyou
Useactivevoice: By active voice, we mean active subject In active voice, the sentence’s subject does theactiondescribedbytheverb.Inpassivevoice,thesubjectdoesn’tdotheaction.
Passivevoiceisgrammaticallycorrect,andit’stherightchoicewhentheactionismoreimportantthan the action’s doer (for example, “She was fired”). But passive voice can seem timid, and it requires a weaktobeverb Incontrast,activevoiceisconfidentandconcise
Challengemodifiers:Modifiers(adjectivesandadverbs)canstrengthenasentencebysharpeningyour meaning. But sometimes they prop up poorly chosen words, especially imprecise nouns, verbs and adjectives Aprecise,well-chosenwordneedsnomodification
Original Revision
Weareveryhappy
Quicklytakeyourreporttotheclient
Heisrathertired.
Pleasedeliverthepackagetoourheadquarters
building
Weareecstatic
Rushyourreporttotheclient
Heistired.
Pleasedeliverthepackagetoourheadquarters
Challenge long words: If a long word or phrase is the best choice, use it. Otherwise, use a shorter option
Original Revision utilize use prioritize rank
Challenge prepositional phrases: To tighten sentences, turn prepositional phrases into shorter adjectiveswhenpossible Avoidastringofprepositionalphrases
Challengelongsentences:Howlongshouldasentencebe?Longenoughtomakeitspointclearlyand gracefully and no longer. Challenge sentences that are more than 25 words; realize, however, that some good sentences will exceed that length As discussed above, you can tighten sentences by eliminatingtobeverbs,modifiersandprepositionalphrases
Avoid overused expressions: Clichés such as “It has come to my attention” and “I regret to inform you ” lack original thought They sound insincere Overused figures of speech such as “He’s a fish out of water” don’t create the engaging image they once did Overused expressions suggest to readers that youdidn’ttakethetimetodevoteclear,seriousthoughttothemessageyou’resending.
Avoid placing important words or phrases in the middle of a sentence: The beginning of a sentence breaks a silence and calls attention to itself The last words of a sentence echo into a brief silence and gain emphasis. The middle of a sentence generally draws the least attention. A writer friend of ours says,“Wordsgotothemiddletodie”
Keepthefocusonthereader:Tellreaderswhattheywantandneedtoknow notjustwhatyouwant them to know. Keep the focus on how they benefit from reading your document. Talk to them about themselvesandwhatyourmessagemeanstothem
Read your sentences aloud: At least whisper them to yourself That’s the surest way to check for effectivesentencerhythms.Readingaloudalsocanbeaneffectiveeditingtechnique.
1C Research,PlanningandtheWritingProcess
Good writing is more than just good luck and natural talent Good writing is the result of a logical process Because the writing process can seem intimidating (or just plain hard), some writers prefer to just rush in and start writing But that’s like leaving for a Spring Break trip with no destination, no map, no budget and no hope Otherwritersmayfeelsooverwhelmedthattheyavoidthejobuntilit’stoolatefortheirbestwork
Good writing isn’t easy. There’s nothing wrong with you if you find writing to be hard work. You can, however,makethathardworkalittleeasierbyfollowinganine-stepwritingprocess
StepOne:Research
This book shows you how to write dozens of documents for public relations, advertising, business communications and sales and marketing. And for each document, we begin with an analysis of purpose, audienceandmedia Werecommendthatyoudothesame
Begin your research by defining the document’s purpose: What is its goal? What should it accomplish? What business goal does it support? With your answers to these questions, you should begin to answer anotherpurpose-relatedquestion:Whatshouldbetheone,keystrategicmessageofthisdocument?
Now extend your research to the target audience of the document To whom are you writing? Audience researchgenerallyfallsintotwocategories:demographicandpsychographicdata.Demographicdataconsistof nonattitudinalfactssuchasage,income,gender,educationallevel,raceandsoon Psychographicinformation containsattitudinaldetailsaboutvalues,beliefs,opinionsand,ofcourse,attitudes Psychographicinformation can include political and religious beliefs, personal ethics codes, goals in life and so on. Use your research to deeplyunderstandyourreaders Perhapsthemostimportantquestionyoucanansweriswhymembersofyour targetaudienceshouldcareaboutyourdocument What’sinitforthem?
With your understanding of your target audience, you might want to refine the one, key strategic message you ’vebeguntoidentify
Finally, you should gather information about the medium or media you’ll be using Will you use Snapchat? Digitalads?Specialevents?Mobilemessaging?Alloftheabove?Thecharacteristicsofyourchosenmediacan helpyoufurtherrefineyourone,keystrategicmessage Oneofthebestwaystoselectthebestmediaforyour messageistostudyyourtargetaudience Whichmediadoesitpreferinthissituation?
StepTwo:Creativity/Brainstorming
Some documents, such as advertisements, newsletter features and sales letters, call for a high degree of creativity.Otherdocuments,suchasnewsreleasesandbusinessreports,aremorestraightforward.Whenyour one, key strategic message requires creativity, consider using a basic five-step approach to developing ideas AdvertisingexpertJamesWebbYounghaswrittenthatthecreativeprocessconsistsofthesesteps:
Gatheringresearch
Thinkingaboutyourresearch
Concentrating on other matters and letting your subconscious mix your research with other things you know (history, music, literature, movies and so on) Young believed that a new idea was really a combinationoftwootherideas,factsorthemes.
A process known as brainstorming can assist the creative process. Brainstorming usually is a group activity inacomfortablesetting Groupmemberstossideasbackandforth,buildingononeanother’sideas,reviewing key research findings and encouraging everyone to be innovative Brainstorming works best when two rules apply:Noone’sideagetsridiculed,andnooneworriesaboutwhogetsthecredit.
StepThree:Organizing/Outlining
You’ve gathered all the necessary information You’ve identified a key message and, perhaps, developed a creativeapproach.Nowit’stimetodeterminewhattoincludeandhowtoorganizethatinformation.
Many things affect organization, including the target audience’s interests, the type of document you ’ re writing and the importance of each piece of information The best general guidelines for good organization aretoconsideryouraudience(whatorderofinformationwillkeepitinterested?)andtobelogical.Youshould haveareasonfortheorderofpresentation:Onepartofthedocumentshouldleadlogicallytothenext
Writinganoutline,whetherit’sformalwithRomannumeralsorjustnotesscribbledonarestaurantnapkin, will help you refine and remember your document’s organization. Don’t be surprised if you change or reorganize items as you write New options may appear as you progress (Experienced writers sometimes can create outlines in their heads or, as they begin to type, they type a few organizational ideas and then begin composing.)
StepFour:Writing
Finally Nowforperhaps thehardestpart ofthewritingprocess Again,writingistoughworkformostof us
If you just can’t get the first few sentences, start somewhere else. Your outline allows you to do that. And don’t worry about getting the words just right in your first draft It’s more important to get the ideas and meaningsright
StepFive:Revision
Onetruismaboutwritingsays,“Goodwritingisn’twritten;it’srewritten”Evenifyouloveyourfirstdraft,set it aside for as long as possible. Return to it fresh, and be critical. Poet and novelist Robert Graves recommended imagining that your intended reader is looking over your shoulder and saying, “But what does thatmean?Can’titbeclearer?What’sinthisforme?HowdoIbenefitbyreadingthis?”
You might also try reading your document aloud. This can be a good way to catch mistakes or language thatdoesn’tflowwell
Writerswhogetseriousaboutrevisionsometimesfindthattheyhaveaccidentallymemorizedallorpartsof adocument.Withthedocumenttemporarilylodgedintheirmemories,thewritersareabletoreviseitasthey eat lunch, ride in an elevator or drive home This may sound excessive (even weird) but it illustrates the pointthatgood,successfulstrategicwritersdon’tsettleforfirstdrafts
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PLATE CCCCXLV.
EPIDENDRUM LINEARE.
Linear-leaved Epidendrum. CLASS XX. ORDER I.
G Y N A N D R I A D I A N D R I A . Chives on the Pointal. Two Chives.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
N turbinatum, obliquum, reflexum.
H - top-shaped, oblique, and reflexed. See Pl. XIII. Vol. I. Epidendrum cochleatum.
E , with linear leaves, alternately sheathing the stem, and notched at the end: flowers terminate the branches in a spike, alternate, and purple: stem rush-like, long, and slender.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The blossom without the honey-cup, spread open to show the chives.
2. The same magnified.
3. The honey-cup magnified.
4 The pointal magnified
I the Icones of Jacquin we find a figure of this Epidendrum, under the appellation we have adopted, but evidently taken from a dried specimen, with a reference to the Icones of Father Plumier 182, fig. 1. under the title of Heleborine; but on comparison we find no affinity sufficiently powerful to induce us to regard them as representing the same plant. In Plumier’s figure there is no incisure at the end of the leaves, a specific character in our plant; the rest of the figure is also too obscure to admit of comparison. The plant, from its long and slender stalks, acquires a graceful bend when in flower. As a native of Jamaica it requires the tan-bed of the hot-stove for its protection;
and, like many other tropical plants, is subject to lose much of its beauty by the loss of the leaves on the lower part of the stem. Our figure was made from the Hibbertian Collection.
PLATE CCCCXLVI.
DOLICHOS HIRTUS.
Hairy-stemmed Dolichos. CLASS XVII. ORDER IV.
D I A D E L P H I A D E C A N D R I A . Chives in two sets. Ten Chives.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
V callis duobus ad basin, parallelis, oblongis, alis subtus comprimentibus.
S with two callosities at the base; parallel, and of an oblong form; the wings beneath binding together.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
D hirtus; caule volubili, tecto ferrugineis pilosis; floribus luteis striatis rubris; foliis ternatis; foliolis sub-cordatis, subtus pilosis; stipulis duabus ad basin; radice tuberosa.
D with a hairy stem: the stalk is twining, and covered with rusty hairs: flowers are yellow, and striped with red: leaves ternate; leaflets nearly heart-shaped, and hairy beneath, with two stipulæ at their base: root tuberous.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1 The cup
2. The standard.
3. One of the wings shown from the inside.
4 The keel
5. The chives and pointal.
6. The chives spread open.
7. The seed-bud and pointal.
T handsome twining plant was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope to the gardens of G. Hibbert, esq. about the year 1802, and flowered very luxuriantly, but did not perfect any of its seeds nor make any approach towards it, as the flowers with their empalements all fell off together
immediately after flowering; and for the last three or four years the plant (although apparently in a healthy state) has not indicated the least appearance of bloom; and we are inclined to think it might possibly succeed better with the careful treatment of the dry stove than with its present situation in the hot-house; and if upon experiment it should prove successful, it would then doubtless become a plant in request by many cultivators who whilst it remains a hot-house plant cannot give it a place in their collection.
This genus approaches so near to that of Phaseolus, that we cannot help thinking one generic title would have been sufficient for them both.
PLATE CCCCXLVII.
PROTEA ARGENTIFLORA.
Silvery-flowered Protea.
CLASS IV. ORDER I.
T E T R A N D R I A M O N O G Y N I A . Four Chives. One Pointal.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
C 4-fida, seu 4 petala. Antheræ lineares, petalis infra apices insertæ. Calyx proprius, nullus. Sem. solitaria.
B four-cleft, or of four petals. Tips linear, inserted into the petals below the points. Cup proper, none. Seeds solitary.
P with silvery flowers: the flowers grow in panicles, closely crowded together, in little round heads, sweet-scented and very shining: leaves twice divided, linear, sharp-pointed, and between erect and spreading.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. One of the scales.
2. A blossom detached from the umbel.
3. A section of it magnified.
4 Seed-bud and pointal, summit magnified
5. The cone with the scales attached.
6. The same without the scales.
7. The naked cone.
F the shining silvery appearance of this Protea we have drawn its specific title, although aware of the insurmountable difficulty of doing justice to it: but in so extended a genus it will be frequently impossible to give a discriminating or unoccupied specific from its foliage:—our title may always be ascertained when the plant is in bloom, whether in perfection or not, as the flowers living or dead always retain a shining silvery aspect. It
also possesses a most exquisite sweet scent; but its superior fragrance only exists whilst the flowers are in perfection; as after that period it grows fainter, and is at last scentless. Our figure was made from the collection of G. Hibbert, esq.
PLATE CCCCXLVIII.
PÆONIA SUFFRUTICOSA; Va r. f l o re p u r p u re o .
Shrubby Pæony; Purple-flowered Variety. CLASS XIII. ORDER V.
P O L YA N D R I A P E N TA G Y N I A . Many Chives. Five Pointals.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
C 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Styli 0. Capsulæ polyspermæ.
C 5-leaved. Petals 5. Pointal none. Capsules many-seeded.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
P caule suffruticoso, tripedali, ramoso: folia alternatim bipinnata, pedalia et ultra, bifida et trifida, subtus glauca: petiolis longis, canaliculatis, amplexicaulibus: floribus semi-duplicibus, purpureis, splendentibus.
P with a shrubby stem, three feet high, and branching: leaves alternately two-winged, a foot or more in length, two-and three-cleft, glaucous beneath; the petioles are long, channelled, and embracing the stem: flowers semi-double, purple, and very splendid.
This elegant plant is the purple variety mentioned in our last Vol. Pl. 373. and flowered at the same time, with completely double flowers, and so equal in point of beauty, that we hesitated some time before we could determine to which we should give the preference. But had we seen the purple one in its present semi-double state, it would undoubtedly have claimed precedence, as well from its preserved botanic character, as its superior beauty. The singular versatility of these plants we were entirely unacquainted with when we figured the rose-coloured one; as, since that period, we have seen them in bloom with single flowers, the following year with double ones; and again the year after we found this purple one in the semi-double state which our figure represents, the plant then bearing five-and-twenty flowers in full perfection, forming a coup-d’œil superior to any shrub we have ever seen.
PLATE CCCCXLIX.
LINUM TRIGYNUM.
Three-styled Golden Flax.
CLASS V. ORDER V.
P E N TA N D R I A P E N TA G Y N I A . Five Chives. Five Pointals.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
C . Perianthium pentaphyllum, lanceolatum, erectum, persistens.
P . Capsula globosa, pentagona, decemlocularis, quinquevalvis.
S solitaria, ovato-planiuscula, acuminata, glabra.
E . Cup five-leaved, lance-shaped, upright, and remaining.
B . Funnel-shaped petals five, oblong, widening upwards by degrees, obtuse, and spreading.
C . Five filaments, awl-shaped, upright, the length of the calyx (there are five alternate slight rudiments of threads). Anthers simple, and arrowshaped.
P . Seed-bud ovate. Shafts 5, thread-shaped, and upright, the length of the stamens. Summits simple, and reflexed.
S - . Capsule globular, five-sided, ten-celled, five-valved.
S solitary, of a flattish oval form, sharp-pointed, and smooth.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
L trigynum, foliis alternis, ovatis, glabris, apice acuminatis: floribus in ramis simpliciter terminalibus: corolla aurea, magna: ramulis alternis, numerosis, viridibus.
F with three pointals; leaves alternate, ovate, and smooth, pointed at the end: flowers terminate the branches singly: blossoms gold colour, and large: the smaller branches alternate, numerous, and green.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The empalement.
2 One of the petals
3. Chives and pointals.
4. A chive magnified.
5. Seed-bud and pointals, a summit magnified.
6 The seed-bud cut transversely, magnified T perfectly new Linum is by far the most showy of the genus, and illumines all the gloomy months of winter with its fine large flowers, whose brilliance is not often surpassed even in the height of summer, when Flora reigns with undiminished lustre. It has been hitherto regarded as a hot-house plant, but is now found to succeed much better with the careful treatment of the green-house. It is published by Capt. Hardwicke in his enumeration of the plants of Sireenagur in the Asiatic Annual Register of 1800, and was found by that gentleman on the sides of the mountains in fine bloom in the month of December, and from whom it received the specific title of trigynum. Its provincial name is said to be Gul Ashorfee; from Gul a flower and Ashorfee gold, a coin current in India of the value of 2l. sterling. There is a figure of this Linum in the Exotic Botany of Dr. Smith, copied from a drawing, and represented with deeply serrated leaves; a character very different from any of the living plants we have as yet seen in bloom, not one of them exhibiting the slightest vestige of a serrature on their foliage. Our figure was made from a plant in luxuriant bloom at the nursery of Messrs. Whitley and Brames.
PLATE CCCCL.
ALBUCA FASTIGIATA.
Level-topped Albuca.
CLASS VI. ORDER I.
H E X A N D R I A M O N O G Y N I A . Six Chives. One Pointal.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
C nullus.
C hexapetala; tribus interioribus conniventibus, exterioribus patulis.
S . Filamenta sex, apice inflexa, basi dilatata. Antheræ oblongæ, in medio affixæ. Stylus triqueter. Stigma triquetrum.
P . Capsula oblonga, angulata, 3-locularis, 3-valvis.
S numerosa, plana.
O . In quibusdam speciebus tria stamina sterilia sunt.
E none.
B . Six petals; the three inner ones conniving together, the outer ones spreading.
C . Six threads turned inwards at the points, and widened at the base. Tips oblong, and fastened in the centre. Shaft three-sided. Summit threecornered.
S - . Capsule oblong, angular, 3-celled, 3-valved.
S many, flat.
O . In some species three of the stamens are sterile.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
A foliis lanceolato-ensiformibus: floribus erectis, paniculatis, fastigiatis, pedunculis longissimis: corollis albis, in medio lineâ viridi: petalis interioribus apice fornicatis, stamina includentibus, quæ sunt omnia fertilia.
A with leaves between lance-and sword-shaped: flowers upright, and grow paniculated and level: footstalks very long: blossoms white, with a stripe of green in the centre; the inner petals forming an arch at the end, and enclosing the stamens, which are all fertile.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1 One of the flower-props
2. The chives and pointal.
3. One of the outer chives.
4 One of the inner ones
5. Seed-bud and pointal.
T genus approaches so near to Ornithogalum, that they may easily be mistaken for each other; the only visible distinction resting in the unexpanding character of the three inner petals, or calyx; for opinions vary with respect to their denomination—Jussieu, an able botanist (through all the divisions of this family), regarding that as the empalement which we, following Linnæus, describe as petals. In the Species Plantarum of Willdenow we find our plant enumerated under the specific title of fastigiata, with a technical description annexed to it. From a plant in the garden of G. Hibbert, esq. about three years ago, we made a drawing of this Albuca, but are inclined to think it rather scarce, not having seen it since that period.
PLATE CCCCLI.
DIOSMA ERICÆFOLIA.
Heath-leaved Diosma.
CLASS V. ORDER I.
P E N TA N D R I A M O N O G Y N I A . Five Chives. One Pointal.
ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.
C 5-petala. Nectaria 5 supra germen. Caps. 3. s. 5, coalitæ. Semina tecta.
B . Five petals. Five nectaries above the seed-bud. Seed-vessels 3 or 5, joined together. Seeds covered.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
D foliis alternis, linearibus, acutis, notatis: floribus in umbellis paniculatis, parvis, albis.
D with alternate leaves, linear, sharp-pointed, and marked. Flowers grow in paniculated umbels, small, and white.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A leaf magnified.
2. The empalement magnified.
3. Seed-buds, honey-cups, chives, and pointal.
4 A chive magnified
5. The honey-cups magnified.
6. Seed-buds and pointal, magnified.
T new species of Diosma so nearly resembles the genus Erica in its foliage, that, regarding it as an unequivocally good specific reference, we have adopted it. The only place in which we have as yet seen it was at the Cape nursery last December, where we observed several plants in fine bloom; and although not showy, they are certainly estimable from their neat and delicate appearance, particularly at a season when so many of the beauties of vegetation are in a state of quiescence. Upon comparing our figure with a fine dried specimen of the D. hirsuta in the herbarium of A. B. Lambert, esq., we find so powerful a resemblance as induces us to regard our
plant as only a variation of culture, more especially as in the magnifier slight vestiges of the hairs on the edges of the leaves are still discernible. But no fear need be entertained of any mode of culture rendering our present specific term impervious to the naked eye. There is a dotted or punctured character which pervades the under surface of the foliage of most Diosmas, many of which, when rubbed, emit a powerful odour. The present subject, although deficient in both those respects, still possesses a peculiarity that we have thought deserving a magnified place in the dissections. It is a hardy green-house plant, and a native of the Cape of Good Hope.
