CONVOLVULACEyE. 203 



favoured. Some are rampant climbing plants, beautiful enough 

 in their season, but so encroaching and weed-like in their 

 tendency as to have brought them very justly into general 

 disrepute amongst cultivators. But some of those rampant 

 species may be turned to account in the ornamentation of 

 open woods and half-kept places. They may very properly 

 be associated with the Hop and plants of similar habit, with a 

 view to the production of characteristic effects in wild spots 

 about large places. There are very few of the neatest and dwarf- 

 est perennial species hardy in all parts of the country, though 

 a few of them are very beautiful plants. The hardy perennial 

 species of the order are usually divided or ranged under the 

 generic names Calystcgia and Convoh'tdus, the former being 

 distinguished from the latter by the presence of bracts under- 

 neath the calyx, — a distinction that may be regarded trouble- 

 some in the garden, however essential it may be in the her- 

 barium; and on that assumption we may, without doing much 

 outrage to science, be permitted here to apply the latter name 

 to all of the few species which our limited selection embraces. 

 They all grow freely in rich rather sandy soil, and are easily 

 propagated by division of the roots. 



Convolvulus althseoides {Althcea-Uke C.) — This is a dwarf 

 trailing or diffuse species about i foot high. The lower leaves 

 are heart-shaped, lobed, and toothed, and covered with close- 

 lying silky hairs. The flowers are handsome and freely pro- 

 duced from early summer till late autumn, and are soft rosy- 

 pink. Native of the Levant. 



C. lineatus (jDicar/ C.) — This is a neat and pretty plant, 

 conspicuously silky in all its parts. It grows about 6 inches 

 high, producing lance-shaped leaves on short stalks. The 

 flowers are pink or pale red, appearing in early summer. 

 Native of the south of Europe. Adapted best for culture on 

 rock work. 



C. pubescens flore-pleno. — A very handsome and useful 

 plant for clothing trelhses, stumps, porches, and general rustic- 

 work. It grows rapidly to the height of a good many feet, 

 though not so extending as the following and some other sorts. 

 The leaves are large, somewhat spear-head-shaped, and softly 

 downy. The flowers are large, double, and pale rose. Native 

 of China. Flowers in June, continuing for some months. 



C. sepium {Greaf Bindweed). — A very vigorous rapidly- 

 extending plant, to be tolerated only where it cannot encroach 

 upon and destroy anything better or weaker. It is quite like 

 the last in growth and general appearance. The flowers are 

 white, appearing in June, and lasting the greater part of sum- 



