1869.] HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 23 



, NOTES OIT HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



LOBELIA. 



This subject, it may be observed, is barely consistent with, the title of 

 these Notes. Only a very limited number of known species of Lobelia 

 may strictly be termed hardy ; but it is necessary once for all to state 

 that the writer, in pursuance of the object of these papers, will bring 

 under the notice of the readers of the ' Gardener ' all such plants as he 

 can recommend as available and proper for the adornment of the mixed 

 border, rock work, and other similar uses, whether, as in the case of 

 Lobelia, they require protection more or less in winter, or are quite 

 hardy. ' 



Lobelia is rather an extensive family, composed of a few annual and 

 biennial, and a large number of perennial herbaceous, and a few ever- 

 green sutfruticose species. It is liberally distributed over many of the 

 warmer parts of the globe, but in Europe and Northern Asia repre- 

 sentatives are few and rare. Britain is favom^ed with two species, L. 

 urens and L. Dortmanna; the former a very rare plant, having hitherto 

 been found in one locality only — in Devon, near Axminster ; and the 

 other, being aquatic, and found in only a few of the lakes in the three 

 great divisions of the Kingdom, may be regarded as a merely local 

 plant in this country. The reputation of the genus for ornamental 

 purposes is deservedly very high ; there is indeed little contained in it 

 that may be condemned as weedy or uninteresting, while of many 

 species and varieties it may be correctly said they are unsurpassed for 

 brilliancy of colouring and adaptability to every style of flower-garden- 

 ing, whether rustic or refined, ribbon or panel, masses of one colour or 

 mixtures of many colours, on any scale, small or great, from the humble 

 patch in the cottager's mixed bed or border, to the thousands that 

 adorn the gardens of the rich and luxurious. But until very recently 

 little has been heard and less seen of Lobelias in this country, except 

 in so far as the justly popular L. erinus and its several excellent 

 varieties, or the pretty annual L. gracilis or campanulata, have brought 

 them into view. It is refreshing, however, to observe that the tide of 

 popular favour is now fairly setting in the direction of the old- 

 fashioned and long-neglected tall herbaceous species, whose striking 

 aspect and sparkling colours are unfamiliar to the majority of young 

 gardeners, but will be pleasingly remembered, either as pot or border 

 plants, by those who can carry their memories back for twenty-fi.ve or 

 thirty years. L. cardinalis, with scarlet flowers, and L. syphylitica, 

 with light-blue or purple flowers, are both very old inhabitants of British 

 gardens, and both are from North America. L. fulgens and L. splendens, 



