CH-ESESTES L.VXCEOL.VTA. S:') 



teeth, and cleft laterally ; this last feature appears to be peculiar to the genus. 

 The corolla is about two inches long, of a deep rich purplish blue, and of a tubular, 

 slightly curved form, funnel shaped, and spreading at the mouth, with a whitish 

 downy margin, between the five lobes of which intermediate teeth are generally 

 present, so that it presents the appearance of being ten-toothed. The stamens are 

 five in number, and the style one ; the latter being, as might be anticipated in a 

 drooping flower, rather the longest ; the ovary ripens into a bright red, pulpy, two- 

 celled berry, containing numerous wrinkled reniform seed. The plant blossoms in 

 summer and autumn, and produces its beautiful purple flowers in some succession, 

 until they are injured by the arrival of frosts. 



It is very closely allied to the genus Habrothamnus ; from which it differs in 

 the shape of the corolla, and the lateral fissure of the calyx, as well as in the 

 anthers being affixed to the filaments by the back, and not by the base. From the 

 Iochroma tubulosa (formerly known as Habrothamnus cyaneus) it differs in the 

 mode in which the mouth of the flower is folded before expansion, or, as it is 

 termed botanically, its estivation. In Chmnestes and Habrothamnus the margin is 

 folded inwards, between the five teeth, which are thus brought into contact in a 

 valve-like manner. The embryo of the seed is also straight, or nearly so ; whilst 

 in Iochroma it is spiral, as in most of the Solanacece. These may appear somewhat 

 minute and unimportant marks of distinction, but it is on such differences, 

 when constant, that genera are founded. The plant formerly known as Lyoium 

 faschioides belongs to this genus, which includes some other species at present 

 known only to Botanists. 



The Chcenestes may be easily increased by cuttings, which are afforded in 

 abundance; they may be taken at almost any period of the summer and autumn ; 

 in the latter case they will require the protection of a cold frame, but in the 

 warmer months they will root in the open borders under a hand-light, though a 

 little bottom heat will accelerate the process. It will succeed in almost any soil, 

 but a light, porous, well-drained medium is to be preferred, as being more conducive 

 to the ripening of the shoots than those of a more retentive nature. It may even 

 be desirable in some cases to plant it in poor sandy loam, which would check its 

 growth, and diminish the size of the foliage, which is sometimes redundant. 

 Numerous suckers are generally thrown up by the root, some of which should be 

 thinned out ; and if the removal be deferred until they are a few inches long, they 

 will be available for the propagation of the plant. If trained to the wall, the 

 shoots should be disposed in a fan-like form, and as the old wood is less productive 

 of blossoms than the shoots of the past year, a portion of it may be pruned out each 

 season ; the plant has, however, been so short a time in cultivation, and has been 

 in our possession but a single season, that we make this suggestion with diffidence, 

 though we have little doubt further experience will confirm its propriety. 



