312 FLORA HISTORICA. 



'* Garden of Pleasant Flowers," which he dedicated 

 to Henrietta, the queen of that monarch. We 

 presume it was called the Cardinal's Flower on ac- 

 count of the bright red colour of the corollas. This 

 beautiful plant grows naturally by the side of rivers 

 and ditches in most parts of North America, as well 

 as in Virginia. 



Justice was so delighted with this plant in the 

 year 1754, that he recommends it as ** a flower of 

 most handsome appearance, which should not be 

 wanting in curious gardens, as it excels all other 

 flowers I ever knew in the richness of its colour." 

 Had this Scotch gentleman lived to have seen the 

 two beautiful species that have been since introduced, 

 his rapture would have been increased, as the Re- 

 fulgent Lobelia, Fulgens^ and the Shining Lobelia, 

 Splendens^ are still more brilliant than the Cardi- 

 nalis. The European florists are indebted to those 

 illustrious travellers Humboldt and Bonpland for 

 both of these magnificent species of Lobelia, as the 

 seeds were found in the specimens which they 

 brought home with them from Mexico. The for- 

 mer species reached this country in 1810, and the 

 latter was first brought from Paris in the year 1814. 

 The splendid colours of these plants soon ensured 

 them a situation in almost every conservatory, from 

 whence they liave been procured to grace the more 

 humble window of the cottage florist, but they have 



