PHARBITIS RUBRO-CCERULEA. — HABROTHAMNXJS AURANTIACUS. 



PHARBITIS RIJBRO-CCERTJLEA.* 



Convolvulaceae, Pentanilria Monogynia. 



The appearance alone, and the form of the flower, as well as can be produced 

 in a picture, for want of an example from nature, oblige us to append to the 

 Pharhitis this Ipomosa of authors. In adopting as a useful and probably natural 

 division, tliis distinction of the Pharbitis from out of the still very irregular group 

 of tlie Ipom«as, it seeras to us evidently impossible to separate the species in 

 question from the Fharbitis hispida, Choisy (Convolvulus purpureus, L.), proto- 

 type of this group of Liseron's Annual, so popular for the decoration of windows, 

 balconies, and green arbors. 



Notwithstanding the tropical origin of the Pharbitis, it owes to its annual 

 continuance as well as to its rapid development, the faculty, valuable to us, of 

 vegetating and flowering in the open air in our climate. It is, at least, true of 

 the common species, such as the Pharbitis hispida and P. Nil; as to the less 

 common species here figured from a cultivated specimen, last summer, in the Van 

 Houtte establishment, it appears to be of a more delicate nature. 



Pre-eminently distinguished in the genus by its general smoothness, and by the 

 remarkable shortness of the calyx divisions, this species probably varies in color, 

 and does not always present the contrast of blue and violet carmine on the two 

 faces of the corolla. Let us add that, in the pictures of the model plant, the 

 angles are sharply acuminate, instead of being, as in the figure, slightly indented 

 and obtuse. Should not this constitute a specific diflerence ? A question im- 

 possible to determine without studying the plant itself. 



Tiie Pharbitis ruhro-ccernlea comes from Mexico. It was introduced into Eng- 

 land before 1834, by Mr. Samuel Richardson, then in the service of the Anglo- 

 Mexican Society for the working of mines. We have every reason to believe 

 that it is still very rare in the gardens on the continent. J. E. P. 



Culture. — The Pharhitis rubro-coerulea should be sown in a warm bed, and 

 under glass, redressed, and put into a warm greenhouse ; or, simply sow it, soon 

 after, in a warm greenhouse, in March or April. Its very tender stems require 

 to be trained, twined into juniper branches, or any other small shrub with strong 

 twigs. Later, place these stems within reach of some branched bush, to pass the 

 summer, and the plant will very soon cover and ornament it. It will there display 

 during the whole summer its numerous flowers, which are very large, and of the 

 purest cerulean blue color ! Here and there, a flash of carmine will ornament 

 some part of the corolla. — Flore des Sevres. 



HABROTHAMNXJS AURANTIACUS. 



KEGEL. 



This belongs to a sub-genus of Cestrura, and it is sometimes called Cestrum 

 Aurantiacum. This elegant species flowered first in the garden of Rurich, about 

 1850; its origin Guatemala; its color suffices to distinguish it from the other 

 species of Ilabrothamnus, and especially H. elegans. It is a valuable addition to 

 our greenhouse shrubs. — Ibid. 



* See Frontispiece. 



Vol. VII.— March, 1857. 



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