MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 117 
and habit of growth. It is a native of South Africa, and 
like most other South African plants, requires plenty of 
sunshine and not-too much atmospheric moisture. In shade 
and moisture of the sort that is usually present in green- 
houses, the cape lead-wort makes only a weak growth and 
produces but few flowers. Out-of-door conditions in St. 
Louis during the summer months are ideal for the growing 
of this lead-wort. One bed at the Garden is still attracting 
considerable attention and will continue to do so until frost. 
It has been noticeable that for a few days after a rain, 
and while the humidity resulting from it is still high, very 
few flowers appear, but as soon as the sun comes out the 
flowers begin to open. During the driest of the summer 
months, the plumbago was at its best. 
The flowers of the lead-wort are noteworthy because of 
their color. Pale blue is rarely found in flowers, but in this 
one it is developed to perfection. The inflorescence is a 
terminal spike of several flowers which often resembles an 
umbel. As a cut flower for the house, it does not last for 
any length of time, but will do well if the stems are cut long 
and the flowers placed in subdued light and out of a draught. 
The culture of this plumbago is comparatively easy. New 
plants can be raised from seeds, cuttings, or “slips,” and 
from division of the old plant. When plants are raised in 
_ the fall they can be stored in a cellar or other place protected 
from cold and set out in the open ground in the spring after 
danger of frost is over. It is quite possible that plumbago, 
with a little protection, will stand the mild winters of St. 
Louis, and an attempt will be made to carry over some of 
these plants out of doors this winter. Plants about four feet 
high and full of bloom have been observed in Philadelphia 
that were undoubtedly hardy there. If Plwmbago capensis 
is hardy in this latitude, which seems probable, it will be an 
important addition to the list of showy plants that will thrive 
during our St. Louis summers. 
AMERICAN SCARLET ROSE-MALLOW. 
The family Malvaceae to which this mallow belongs is 
important from an horticultural standpoint, because of the 
considerable number of large-flowered, showy plants which 
it furnishes for cultivation. The genus Hibiscus probably 
furnishes the largest flowered species, the American Scarlet 
Rose-Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) surpassing all the other 
ecies of the genus in the brilliancy and size of its flowers. 
A large number of the plants will be found in the main 
