PENTSTEMON AZUREAS. AZURE-FLOWERED. 



THE Pentstemon family of plants is now become numerous in species 

 and varieties. Tiie flowers of all are interesting and pretty, but 

 some of them are exceedingly showy and handsome, being very orna- 

 mental, whether grown singly in tiie borders, or in masses in bed*, and 

 meriting a place in every flower-garden. This charming tribe is hardy, 

 of easy culture, and many of them bloom from May to October. It 

 also comprises flowers of showy colours, as crimson, scarlet, rose, 

 purple, pink, and blue, with some wiiite one.-;. Of the beautiful blue 

 section there are several which we have had in this country for some 

 time, and to which, within the last four years, three or four very 

 valuable acquisitions have been introduced. The species we now figure 

 liowever exceeds in beauty all that we have seen. It is of neat habit, 

 a half shrubby plant, growing about half a yard high, very branching-, 

 producing a profusion of flowers in long spiked racemes, and is hi'^idy 

 ornamental throughout the entire summer season. It ought to be 

 grown in every flower-garden. 



The plant was discovered by tlie Horticultural Society's collector, 

 Mr. riartweg, on the Sacramento Mountains in California, and by him 

 sent to the garden at Ciiiswick, from whence the Society have distri- 

 buted it. 



NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 



Abutilom insigne. — A native of New Grenada, It is a charming 

 addition to this pretty flowering tribe. In beauiy it rivals the hand- 

 some A. venosum ; and, like that fine species and others, tlie present 

 new one llouiiyhes and blooms freely in the open ground during the 

 summer season. The flowers are producetl in axillary racemes from 



Vol. XVIII. No. 44. — N.S. R 



