124 



A CHAPTER ON PHLOXES. 



Iin£rs, have made sad work for the botanist to 

 arrange and systematize. It is impossible in 

 most cases, to trace the parentage. The flo- 

 rist, however, is well satisfied to lose the dis- 

 tinction of species, in the production of 

 improved and beautiful varieties. 



The earliest species in the flower garden 

 is Phlox subidata and its varieties ; they are 

 sometimes known by the name of Moss or 

 Mountain Pink. There is a pink, white, 

 and dark red variety, which display their 

 pretty flowers from the last of April to the 

 last of May, and completely conceal their 

 yellowish-green foliage ; they look well in 

 large beds or masses. From these varieties, 

 a number of improved seedlings have been 

 produced, with larger flowers; one of them 

 has lilac-coloured flowers with a dark eye ; 

 another has pink flowers with a red eye — 

 These varieties are spreading, and extend 

 themselves on the ground, and are not over 

 4-5 inches high. 



Phlox setacea nivalis. Snoiv-white. — The 

 flowers are brilliant snowy-white, with 

 orange in theceritre; in bunches from three 

 to five on the dnds of the branches, com- 

 pletely covering the foliage, which is a shin- 

 ing deep green, and setaceous, (bristly,) 

 about four inches high ; in flower from the 

 tenth of May to June. This species is ra- 

 ther tender, and generally more or less in- 

 jured without protection ; it is undoubtedly 

 one of the most elegant of the vernal spe- 

 cies. It has now disappeared from our col- 

 lection ; we had it formerly in great beauty 

 and perfection. We have not seen it in 

 any garden in this vicinity of late years, and 

 should be glad to find it again. 



Phlox stolonifera. Creeping Phlox. — 

 The plant puts forth suckers or shoots near 

 the surface of the earth, which take root 

 similar to the strawberry runner : stem erect, 

 eight or ten inches high, bearing a small 

 cluster of large, deep red, finely formed 



flowers, from the tenth of May to June 

 Leaves ovate, brownish-green. A lovely 

 species, and worthy of cultivation. 



Phlox divaricata. — Branches divaricate. 

 This beautiful and distinct species produces 

 its pale blue flowers the last of May, on lax 

 decumbent stems one foot high. Leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate. It does not propagate so 

 rapidly as most of the species, and is not, 

 therefore, quite so common. Mr. W. E, 

 Carter, of Cambridge Botanic Garden, has 

 exhibited a number of beautiful varieties, 

 one of them a pure white. 



Phlox maculata. — Spotted stem. The 

 dots upon the stem give it the specific name. 

 It is one of the most common sorts, is 

 found ornamenting almost every garden, 

 and is sometimes known under the name 

 of Flora's Bouquet. The flowers are per- 

 fect in shape, of a purplish-red colour, and 

 arranged on oblong panicles or spikes, some- 

 what crowded. It commences flowering the 

 first of June, and continues most of the 

 month, and frequently blooms again in the 

 autumn. Leaves lance-oblong, glabrous ; 

 stem rough, spotted. One and a half to 

 two feet high. 



Phlox suaveolens. Sweet-scented. — It 

 has sweet-scented, pure white flowers, ar- 

 ranged precisely like the last ; leaves simi- 

 lar ; stem without spots. Height and time 

 of flowering the same as maculata, and con- 

 sidered by some a variety of it. When 

 grown together, they produce a fine effect. 



Phlox carnea. Flesh coloured. — This 

 delicate species is in flower the middle of 

 June. After its first display, it continues 

 to flower sparingly through the season. 

 Corolla, fine round form ; delicate flesh co- 

 lour. Leaves ciliated ; upper ones linear- 

 lanceolate. One foot high. Stems from 

 3- to 5-flowered. Not a very common, but 

 a beautiful species. 



Phlox listanea. — A beautiful species 



