128 THE FLORIST. 



more pointed in the petal. 34, as its name imports, is a fine refulgent 

 scarlet ; but the flower is in general too wavy and irregular in form. 

 The same, or nearly so, may be said of 35 and 36, which are very 

 handsome, but more deeply divided in the petals than Optima and 

 more recent varieties. Cruenta elegans (38) is very distinct from 37 ; 

 both are beautiful, but 38 is with me a dense bushy plant, covering 

 itself with flowers, and lasting long in bloom ; 37 is much taller in 

 growth. 39 is also of a low and bushy habit, fine scarlet, not crim- 

 son, as said in the list given p. 137 of your last year's volume. 40 

 is most rich and brilliant in colour, and good shape ; but in this last 

 respect — shape — the varieties which follow, 41 to 47, are pre-eminent. 

 Rubra elegans, 42, is a charming flower, perfectly round, elegantly 

 crisped and undulated at the edge, and of as rich an orange- scarlet 

 as can be desired. 43 and 46 are very similar in habit, as is also 47. 

 All these three are of low bushy growth, with very large well-rounded 

 flowers of a fine light orange-scarlet. 44 and 45 are both very 

 beautiful ; the latter has no marking, but is very round, and of a soft 

 orange- scarlet. 48 is not so flat and widely expanded as the seven 

 last referred to, but is beautifully marked, of a bright orange- scarlet, 

 and with me flowers very early. 49 sometimes forms its flowers in 

 heads or trusses, like those of the Rhododendron, which are very 

 handsome and remarkable ; but the flowers, taken singly, are not dis- 

 tinguished either for size or brightness of colour. 50 is a very beau- 

 tiful variety, dense in its habit of growth, the flowers small compared 

 with many others, and rather tubular, but well rounded, finely 

 spotted, and continuing long in bloom ; colour a deepish crimson- 

 red. 51, Double Scarlet, is, I believe, the only perfectly double va- 

 riety. The flowers are small, of a light brick-red colour, and produced 

 in wonderful profusion. It is of a very tall upright habit. One of 

 my plants, though the top has been cut off, is still twelve feet high. 



Sect. V. 



I have endeavoured to place the varieties of this section with 

 some reference to their gradations of colour, No. 52 being the darkest. 



53 is next in shade, large, w r ell-shaped, with fine black spotting. 



54 has, I think, attracted more universal admiration than any one 

 other of this class, from the refulgence of its rich deep crimson 

 flowers, though it is difficult to assign a positive superiority where 

 nearly all are so beautiful. 56 is almost equally splendid in colour, 

 though of a different and rather lighter shade. 58 and 59 are very 

 much alike, the first being the deepest in tint, fine, large, widely ex- 

 panded, well rounded flowers, beautifully marked. 60, much lighter 

 in colour than the preceding, and finely marked. One of my plants 

 of this is four feet across, and is one compact mass of bloom when in 

 flower. 61, an elegant round flower, of a soft transparent rosy hue. 

 62, very large brilliant pink. 63, one of the most splendid varieties 

 yet produced, flowers immensely large, of a deep glowing pink, 

 sometimes forming trusses like the Rhododendron. 64, a very round 

 flower, of a bright light rose-colour, very distinct and attractive. 65, 

 this may pair with 57, Pudica, the one being of a darker, the other 



