It was raised at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, whence 
specimens were sent to Kew in 1883. That from which 
this drawing was made formed a conspicuous feature in the 
Palm House during the spring months, from the great 
length of its racemose spikes with their snowy coat of 
wool enlivened by the beautiful cobalt-blue of the corolla. 
It is a fine introduction, and well worth cultivation. 
Descr. Stem three to five feet high, robust, as thick asa 
swan’s quill, obtusely four-angled, tomentose below, villous 
above. Leaves four to six inches long, broadly cordate, 
subacute, coarsely crenate, tomentose on both surfaces, 
rather fleshy, base truncate or rounded ; petiole one to two 
inches long, robust, villous. Inflorescence a sparingly 
branched raceme two to three feet long of slender spikes 
clothed with thick white wool; whorls small, many-flowered, 
approximate ; flowers shortly pedicelled. Calyx one-sixth 
of an inch long, villous, cleft below the middle into five 
lanceolate acuminate subequal teeth. Corolla cobalt-blue, - 
pubescent ; tube short, decurved; upper lip short, broad, 
two-lobed, reflexed, with two small rounded lateral lobes 
at its base; lower lip one-third of an inch long, boat- 
shaped. Anthers very shortly exserted at the end of the 
lower lip.—J. D. H. | 3 
Fig. 1, Upper part of the plant—reduced; 2, flower; 3, corolla and stamens ; 
4 and 5, anthers; 6, disk and ovary :—all enlarged. 
