46 



The Country Gentlemmi's Magazine 



American Verbena of the Melindres group ; 

 it is extremely handsome ; the blossoms are 

 of a deep red rose colour, with a yellow eye, 

 and become paler in age ; it differs from V. 

 Tweediana in the broad and depressed (not 

 spiked) corymbs ; and in the broader leaves, 

 which are more deeply lobed, and cut in a 

 pinnatifid manner." In Paxton's " Magazine 

 of Botany" for December 1838, appeared a 

 well-executed figure, along with the following 

 description, of V. teucrioides : — "The plant is 

 erect, and grows about 2 feet high \ its flower 

 spike is generally more than 6 inches long ; 

 the flowers are of a delicate pinkish white, 

 gradually deepening into rich rosy pink as 

 they begin to decay ; and they are delight- 

 fully fragrant. It first flowered in the Glas- 

 nevin Botanic Garden in August 1838;" 

 and Mr T. Handasyde, of Musselburgh, who 

 purchased the whole stock, first sent it out 

 in April 1839. 



From these four reputed species, V. 

 Melindres, V. Tweediana, V. incisa, and V. 

 teucrioides, have sprung almost all the most 

 popular Verbenas now in cultivation ; and 

 while it may be conceded that little room for 

 further improving them seems now to exist, 

 in the lines of advance which cultivators 

 have hitherto chosen, yet there are others 

 which would aftbrd ample scope for the 

 exercise of their skill ; among which we 

 would specially particularize those of habit 

 of growth and of fragrance. 



In regard to habit, it is a remarkable 

 fact that among all the now popular Ver- 

 benas none possess the dwarf spreading 

 growth of the original V. Melindres, the 

 departure from which first arose by cross- 

 ing it and the V. Tweediana, and became 

 consummated when that so-called " im- 

 proved strain" became in its turn further 

 incorporated with the still much more 

 vigorous growing V. teucrioides. To over- 

 come this strong up-growing tendency in 

 modern varieties, recourse is had to the 

 tedious and (to render it effectual) con- 

 tinuous operation of pegging down, which, 

 even when best performed, never gives that 

 close surfacing of foilage which the V. 

 Melindres s])reads around of its own accord. 



As flower and not leaf improvement has 

 hitherto been the principal end aimed at 

 by growers, it follows that some of the 

 most perfect blossoming kinds are, in both 

 the earlier and latter parts of the season, 

 little different in appearance from common 

 Nettles ; and while this is the case in the 

 warmer and drier districts of the country, it is 

 more noticable in the upland and moister 

 parts. Hence some eminent horticulturists, 

 who are so situated, never attempt growing 

 the coarser leaved kinds, and even still de- 

 pend largely on the V. Melindres and other 

 low-growing sorts for their principal floral dis- 

 play. Dwarf compact growth is not, how- 

 ever, the only desirable habit for Verbenas ; 

 but a much taller habit than has yet been at- 

 tained is also desirable, provided it can be 

 acquired with good foliage and stout graceful 

 outline. The 6 feet high V. bonariensis pos- 

 sesses these desirable characteristics, and is 

 only deficient in size of flower. This defect 

 might, however, be overcome by hybridizing 

 it with some of the large-flowered kinds, 

 which might produce a new race of Verbenas 

 far more elegant and effective than anything 

 yet seen. 



Fragrance is a property which Verbena im- 

 provers have almost entirely ignored, and 

 among all the varieties now in cultivation it 

 is doubtful if any will stand comparison in 

 this respect with the old " delightfully fra- 

 grant " V. teucrioides, from which most of the 

 whites and other strong-growing large-foliaged 

 kinds are descended. And what a success 

 would be obtained were a hybridal connexion 

 produced between that universal favourite, 

 the lemon-scented V. triphylla, and the showy- 

 flowered kinds ! In attempting the attain- 

 ment of this highly-desirable result, we 

 would caution hybridizers not to be deterred 

 because botanists have separated this old 

 favourite from the Verbenas, and restored to it 

 its original name of Aloysia citriodora, for 

 by art and skill they may be enabled to over- 

 leap this fanciful barrier, as easily as they 

 have already done more difficult obstacles, 

 in amalgamating other separated genera. 



Variegating the foliage and doubling the 

 flower of Verbenas are other line.> of improve- 



