Plate 425, 



PENSTEMONS— PURPLE KING AND 

 MRS. ARTHUR STERRY. 



It is now some time since we figured any varieties of this 

 very beautiful herbaceous plant, and a reference to the flowers 

 then figm'ed, as in Plate 234, will show that hybridizers have 

 not been idle, and that very considerable advance has been 

 made, both in the size of the flowers, and the beauty and form 

 of the spike. To Messrs. Downie, Laird, and Laing, who have 

 been amongst the most successful cultivators of this tribe of 

 plants, we are indebted for the opportunity of figuring the 

 two very beautiful varieties in our present Plate. 



The cultivation of the Pcnslcmon presents no difficulty to the 

 lover of flowers. A hardy herbaceous plant, it is able to with- 

 stand the varying character of our climate, and hence it ought 

 to be extensively cultivated, and wherever hardy plants are 

 used, there it should come into more general use. It is 

 also very easily propagated, by division of the roots, in 

 autumn, and, when properly treated, will yield a succession of 

 bloom from June until October. 



The French horticulturists have, as well as our English 

 growers, been hybridizing and improving this class, and some 

 of the more recent additions, sucli as Baron de Gargan, crimson 

 striped ; General Prim, flesh-colour and maroon ; President 

 SUhermann ; and Souvenir de Marie Crousse are very good addi- 

 tions, and it is probable that the introduction of new species 

 may lead to fui"ther improvement. 



The varieties so beautifully rendered by Mr. Andrews in our 

 plate, are. Purple King (fig. 1), in which the whole flower, tube 

 and lip, are of a lively bright purple with pure white throat. 



