Tas. 8143, 
MONTANOA motttsstma. 
Mexico. 
Compositar. Tribe HELIANTHOIDEAR, 
Montano, Llav. et Lew. ; Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 365. 
Montanoa mollissima, Brongn. in Rev. Hortic. 1857, p. 543; Koch, Woch- 
enschr, vol. vii. p. 408; affinis M. grandiflorae, DC., sed foliis subtus 
arachnoideo-tomentosis supra non scabridis differt: 
Fruter ramosus, circiter 2 m. altus. Rami striati, pubescentes, demum fere 
glabri, Folia sessilia, lanceolata vel ovato-lanceolata, 10-18 cm. longa, 
4-9 cm. lata, apice mucronulata, basi auriculata, crenata, supra viridia, 
glabriuscula, subtus dense albo-arachnoideo-tomentosa, venis utrinque — 
sed praecipue subtus distinctis. QCapitula circiter 4 em. diametro, 
pedunculis circiter 6 em. longis. Involucri bracteae oblongae, sub- 
acutae. Receptaculi paleae e basi lata subulatae, pilosae, 5 mm. 
longae. Flores radit circiter 9, 2, albi; tubus 1 mm. longus, glaber; 
lamina oblongo-obovata, vix 2 cm. longa, 1 cm. lata, 7- vel 8-nervia, apice 
minute 3-dentata, supra glabra, subtus glanduloso-pilosa. Styli rami 
penicillati, glabri, 1°55 mm. longi. Flores disci 9, flavi; tubus 4 mm. 
longus, extra pilosus, basi 1 mm. constrictus; lobi deltoidei, obtusi. 
Antherae apiculatae, 2°5 mm, longae. Stylus supra medium glanduloso- 
pilosus, ramis planis 1°5 mm. longis, apice penicillatis. Achaenia 
quadrangularia, 1'5 mm. longa, glabra. Pappus nullus. 
The cultivated species of the genus Montanoa are used 
in English gardens as sub-tropical bedding plants, and 
are chiefly grown for the beauty of their foliage. 7. bipin- 
natifida is used in this manner, and treated in a similar 
way to such plants as Ricinus, Melianthus, and the large- 
leaved Solanums. They do not flower readily in the open, 
but on the Mediterranean they bloom as freely as perennial 
Sunflowers. 
M. mollissima is grown in the gardens of South Europe, 
where it flowers freely, and is very ornamental, At Kew 
it is treated as a greenhouse shrub. It is readily increased 
from seeds sown in gentle bottom heat in spring, or by 
cuttings of roots inserted in autumn, and of the stems or 
shoots in spring. The plant here figured was raised from 
seeds received in 1902 from the late Sir Thomas Hanbury, 
La Mortola. 
This species was introduced into cultivation by Ghies- 
breght, who sent seeds from Mexico to the Paris Botanic 
Garden in 1843. It has been reduced to M. grandiflora, 
Juty Ist, 1907. 
