NAT. ORDER. ONAGRARIJE. 71 



and therefore improperly named ; the flowers which are large and 

 showy, thougii they open in the evening, remain expanded during 

 most of the ensuing day ; the flower-bud, germ, and stalk, contri- 

 butes to render this species one of the most ornamental and desirable. 

 It is a native of Virginia. 



Oenothera pumila. Dwarf Tree-Primrose. This has also a 

 perennial fibrous root ; the lower leaves ovate, small, close to the 

 ground ; the stalk slender, near a foot high ; the leaves smaller, of 

 a light green, sessile, ending in blunt points; the flowers small and 

 of a bright yellow ; it sends up many flowering stems, producing 

 blossoms from April to July, opening in the morning as well as the 

 evening. It is a native of North America. 



Propagation and Culture. These plants are all capable of being 

 raised from seeds, and some of them by parting the roots and cuttings. 

 The seed should be sown eitiier in the autumn or early in the spring 

 in the first and third sorts, upon a bed or border in the open ground, 

 thinning and watering the plants properly, and keeping them free 

 from weeds till the following autumn, when they may be removed 

 with balls of earth about their roots to the places where they are to 

 remain. Some may be set out at the time of thinning in nursery- 

 rows, six inches apart. They also rise without trouble from the 

 scattering of the seeds. 



In the second sort, the seed should be put into the ground in the 

 open borders or other parts, in the last part of March, where the 

 plants are to remain. One plant is sufficient in a place, which 

 should have a stick set to support its branches when they have 

 advanced a little. 



Medical Properties and Uses. These plants are mostly esteemed 

 for their farinaceous and mucilaginous qualities. The roots are 

 eatable, and are likewise used as emolients. 



