24 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



"both from Mexico, are more recent introductions, with scarlet flowers and 

 dark- coloured foliage, but are less hardy in constitution than the two 

 first-named species. Then came the purple speciosa, a hybrid of Scotch 

 origin between syphylitica and cardinalis. L. ignea, more recent 

 than either of the foregoing, Avas brought out as a species, but 

 has little if any specific character about it ; it is very near L. 

 fulgens in appearance, and would pass very well as a variety of 

 that species, with rather weak straggling habit, but most brilliant 

 scarlet flowers and intense dark foliage. L. fulgens v. St Clair 

 is a comparatively recent variety, of excellent merits, upright and 

 stately in growth ; the leaves are rendered somewhat hoary by numer- 

 ous whitish hairs that are thickly studded over the dark surface, and 

 the flowers are brilliant scarlet in dense spikes. L. syphylitica v. 

 alba is a beautiful sort, but rare and difficult to keep, which has 

 been occasionally seen, but always limited, and in the hands of only 

 one grower here and there in the country. Occasionally, too, was 

 seen in the past a dwarf variety of L. cardinalis, named nana, of the 

 same colour as the species. But the foregoing list contains the sum 

 of the colours to be found in this section of Lobelia till within three 

 or four years ago, wdien the species, yielding to hybridisation under 

 the hands of Messrs Bull of Chelsea and Henderson of St John's 

 Wood, are now giving us numerous progeny, with colours previously 

 unheard of among tall Lobelias. There are carmine, cerise, claret, 

 magenta, pink, ruby, with many shades of purple and scarlet and 

 crimson, while these are varied still more in certain varieties with 

 white. There is also in some sorts an increase in the size of the 

 individual flowers, and there is greater variety in habit. Some varie- 

 ties are dwarf and diffuse, others tall and strict ; and in this respect 

 there will soon, perhaps, be such diversity of character as will render 

 Lobelias of this section adaptable to very general use in bedding-out. 

 But there are other tall herbaceous Lobelias worth having, both on 

 account of their own intrinsic merits, and the probable good results 

 that would accrue from infusing their blood with that of species and 

 varieties already in our possession. L. coelestis, about 2 or 3 feet 

 high, with clear azure-blue flowers, from N. America ; L. amcena, about 

 3 feet high, with L. Kalmii, a foot and a half high, both blue-flowered, 

 and from JST. America ; and L. verbascifolia, a large-growing tomentose- 

 leaved sort with red flowers, from Nepal, are species of considerable 

 beauty. Our own indigenous L. urens is no mean plant under good 

 cultivation, and might' if crossed with the showier sorts, introduce a 

 hardier race. L. Dortmanna is indispensable where ponds, lakes, or slug- 

 gish streams must be furnished with select or choice vegetation; its pale- 

 blue flowers drooping in slender racemes on the surface of the water, 



