184 THE NEW ANNUALS. 



termed marmorata, from the peculiar marble-like mixture of various shades of rich brown and orange 

 which occur in the flowers. "When the seeds are sown in autumn, as they should be when 

 practicable, this and the other varieties will flower the whole summer through, and the blossoms 

 will be larger than in the case of spring-sown plants. 



The Tagetes tennifolia, or signata, is by no means a new plant, but its singularly elegant habit) 

 and its abundant bright orange flowers, produced for a long period, induce us to make an exception 

 for it ; we never knew this plant to be grown without becoming an established favourite, and it is 

 one of the most easily cultivated of all our annual treasures. The curious Perilla nankinensis, 

 referred to in an early number of the present Volume, answers most correctly to the description 

 there given of it. Its blackish-purple foliage produces an exceedingly striking effect when 

 surrounded by various shades of green. "We have not yet seen the flowers of this plant, but they 

 are small and comparatively uninteresting. The Monardella undulata is a recent introduction from 

 California, belonging to the Labiate plants ; we are not quite sure whether it may not prove 

 perennial, but it flowers the first season, and may therefore be treated as an annual ; it grows about 

 one-and-a-half feet high, and has round stems and lanceolate leaves, which, as well as the flowers, 

 have a strong odour of peppermint, or a scent more nearly resembling that than any other ; the 

 flowers are blueish, and collected into globular heads, like those of many species of Mentha ; they 

 make, however, but little show, but the plant may, perhaps, be thought worth cultivating for its 

 aromatic scent. We have grown, as an annual plant, this season, the old Salvia coceinca, and 

 venture to recommend it to our readers as well worthy their attention. Its flowers are small, but 

 of a most brilliant scarlet, and a group of seedlings will produce a very pleasing effect in the 

 borders. Sown in March, on a hot-bed, they will flower in July and August in the open borders ; 

 the roots are perennial, but require protection from frost. Of the merits of the Venidiiim calendula- 

 ceum, our readers may judge from our recent figure of it ; the Arclotis breviseapa is a closely allied 

 plant, with large orange-coloured flowers, but they are not quite so freely produced as in the 

 Venidium ; like that, it needs a sunny exposition, and light sandy soil. In our reference to the 

 new white-flowered annuals, we find we have omitted one of some interest, the Silcne pendula alba, 

 a variety of an old and favourite plant, differing from it only in having pure white flowers. The 

 cream-coloured variety of the Eschsholtzia californica may also be appropriately named here ; our 

 plants produced flowers so comparatively small, that we hardly feel disposed to say much in its 

 behalf; it is at any rate decidedly inferior to the orange and saffron coloured varieties of this 

 now common plant. 



"We have, we believe, now noticed most of the annuals introduced during the last two seasons ; 

 some others of considerable interest we have reserved for figuring in our next Volume. There 

 is one plant, however, to which we desire at once to call the attention of our readers, and, though 

 an old inhabitant of our gardens, it is a question whether to many amateurs it may not prove 

 entirely new — the Wahlenbergia vincqflora, a close ally of the Campanulas, with which it was 

 formerly classed. It is a dwarf plant of slender, branching habit, scarcely exceeding six or 

 eight inches in height, with almost linear and somewhat scanty foliage. The flowers are of 

 a salver-shaped form, with a narrow tube, which gives them some resemblance to those of the 

 lesser Periwinkle, Vinea minor, whence their specific name ; they are nearly an inch across, 

 drooping before expansion, but afterwards more erect; the upper surface of the flower is a 

 pretty bright blue, the tube and under-side considerably paler. Although a native of New 

 Holland, it may be sown in the open borders, and as the seeds are very small, like those of the 

 Lobelias and Companulas, they should not be covered with soil, but merely sprinkled on a finely 

 prepared surface of sandy loam and peat, which should afterwards be slightly pressed. If preserved 

 in the greenhouse or cold frame, it becomes perennial ; but it is so easily increased by seed, 

 which it produces abundantly, that it is, perhaps, best treated as an annual plant. 



