NAT. ORDER. — GENTIANE.E. 59 



as the intervals ; flowers axillary, pedicellate, shorter than the 

 leaves ; segments of tlie calyx linear, as long as the tube ; corolla 

 tubular, five cleft, segments acute with a lateral tooth. Native of 

 all the middle States. Leaves three inches long, flowers one inch. 



Gcntiana coUinsiana. Collinsian Gentian. Stem round, smooth ; 

 leaves lanceolate, acuminate, trinerve, longer than the intervals; 

 flowers copitate, involucrate ; segments of the calyx lanceolate, 

 involucrate ; acute, as long as the tube ; corolla campanulate, five 

 cleft ; segments mucronate, innerfolds rounded, notched. This is 

 a fine species, leaves three incheslong, flowers two inches, and blue. 

 Native of the Western States. Dedicated to Z. Collins. 



The above account may be considered as a concise monography 

 of our Gentians ; but there are some other species in the Southern 

 States. The perennial kinds, which are the most numerous, have 

 their medical pi-operties concentrated in tlie roots, which may safely 

 be substituted to the Officinal Gentian. The annual kinds have the 

 whole plant intensely bitter and available as in Sabbatia, Chclone 

 glabra, Verbena hastata, <fec. They all ought to be cultivated for 

 their beautiful blue blossoms, and officinal utility. 



Propagation and Culture. The different sorts are easily raised 

 by sowing the seed in pots soon after it is ripe ; for if kept till spring, 

 it will not succeed as well ; the pots should be placed in a shady 

 situation, and kept clean from weeds. Some advise their being 

 sown where they are to remain, but the first is probably the best 

 method. When the plants appear in the spring, they must be daily 

 watered in dry weather, and kept clean from weeds till the follow- 

 ing autumn ; then be carefully shaken out of the pots so as not to 

 break or injure their roots ; and a shady border of loamy earth 

 should be well dug and prepared to receive them, into which they 

 should be put at about six inches distance each way, the tops of the 

 roots being kept a little below the surface of the ground, and the 

 earth pressed close to the roots. If the following spring prove dry, 

 they should be duly watered, to forward their growth. The plants 



