ACHIMENES. 



narrow piukish tube, the back of the 

 limb being also pinkish ; and A. 

 pedunculdta, -which has flowers with 

 a larger tube and smaller limb, than 

 any of the other species ; they are 

 orange and scarlet, marked with rows 

 of crimson spots. A. grandifiora 

 was introduced in 1843 : in shape 

 the flowers resemble those of A. 

 longiflora, but the limb is a rich 

 purplish crimson : this plant is a 

 natiye of Mexico. A. multifldrai& 

 a native of Brazil, introduced in 

 1840, and has flowers resembling in 

 shape those of A. pedunculata, but of 

 a most beautifiil lilac, ^Yith. a sort of 

 fiinge round the margin of the limb ; 

 and A. hirsdta, introduced from 

 Guatemala in 1843, has the flowers 

 of a deep rose-colour, with a yellow 

 mouth spotted with crimson, and in 

 shape between those of A. rosea 

 and A. pedunculata, A. 'patens was 

 first discovered by Mr. Hartweg, in 

 Mexico, in 183S ; but unfortunately 

 none of the roots -which he sent home 

 arrived in a living state. On his 

 return to Mexico, however, in 1845, 

 he -ft'-as so fortunate as to discover tbe 

 plant again ; and living plants of it 

 reached England in the spring of 

 1846. The flo-wers are extremely 

 ornamental, resembling those of A. 

 longiflora, but being of a very dark 

 and rich purple, -ftith a tinge of crim- 

 son ; and the edges of the petals being 

 somewhat undulated. The roots, 

 -which, resemble bundles of small 

 scales, Mr. Gordon observes, in the 

 Journal of the Horticulturcd Society, 

 should be separated, '"at least all 

 those scales, ■s\-hich will part from 

 each other freely, and be, as it -were, 

 so-wn on the surface of the soil in the 

 pots ; the pots should be filled -with a 

 light fibry heatb-soil, anda smallpor- 

 tion of well-decayed dung should be 

 mixed vrith the finer portions of the 

 soil for top covering. The scales 

 and cro-wn-ends of tbe roots, -which 



sometimes -will not separate, should 

 be covered about a quarter of an inch, 

 in depth, and then the pots containing 

 them should be placed in a melon or 

 cucumber pit, or any other structure 

 ■R'^here there is a moderate bottom heat 

 and rather moist atmosphere." The 

 young plants will begin to appear in 

 about ten days, and when two inches 

 high they should be transplanted. 

 All the species require the same 

 treatment. When the stems die 

 down, which they do a'fter flowering, 

 the tubers must be kept quite di-y 

 during the winter and early spring. 

 x\bout jMarch or April, the tubers 

 should be repotted in light, rich soil, 

 and the pots plunged in a hotbed. 

 "When the jilants begin to grow they 

 should be removed to a v.-arm green- 

 house, tni their flovrer-buds are 

 formed ; after which, all the kinds, 

 except A.coccinea, and A. peduncu- 

 lata, may be placed in a common 

 green-house, or in a living-room, to 

 flower. A. longiflora is by far the 

 handsomest and the hardiest ; and its 

 thickened roots are more like scaly 

 bulbs than tubers. A. pedunculata 

 and A. hu-suta have the peculiarity 

 of forming little bulbs in the axils 

 of their leaves, particularly if kept 

 in a moist heat. The leaves and 

 flowers of all the species should be 

 keptasdry as possible, and the plants 

 should never be watered over-head. 

 — For the culture of A. cocclnea see 

 Trevira'na. 



Acoxi'ruM. — Ranunculacece. — 

 Monkshood and Wolfsbane. — Her- 

 baceous perennials, chiefly natives of 

 Europe, but partly of North Ameiica 

 and Japan. They are all hardy in 

 British gardens, and they are gene- 

 rally tall-gi'owing handsome plants, 

 producing an abundance of dark- 

 blue, purple, or yellow flowers. They 

 -n^ni all grow freely in any common 

 garden soil, and are readily increased 

 by division of the roots, which are 



