588 NOTES ON SOME ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. \July, 



Several Onosmas are found in Greece, and some of them may- 

 prove worth cultivation. Onosma frutescens, Lam., is a neat 

 dwarfish species, with pale yellow flowers, somewhat like those of 

 Symphytum. The specimen before the writer is from Mount 

 Lycabettos, and is probably hardy enough to bear the winter 

 temperature of England. It is one of Sibthorp's or of Smith's 

 species; but does not appear in Nymann's 'Sylloge Florae Europse.' 

 Onosma pallidum is a slenderer and more upright plant, with 

 larger and paler flowers. The specimen before the writer was 

 collected between Lebadeia and the Triados. 



Onosma orphanoides, Bois., is a taller and a stouter plant than 

 any of the above-named species of this genus. It is from Mega- 

 spelion, and flowers in May.^ 



Some of the Cerinthes are well-known annual border flowers ; 

 and as their habit is good and their foliage neat and of a bright 

 green, unlike the general colour and usual shagginess of the 

 plants of this Order, they might be worth re-introducing, if, like 

 many other good plants that have been neglected, they have 

 already ceased to exist. 



Cerinthe retorta, Sibthorp and Sm., and C. aspera, Roth, are 

 probably both hardy enough for annuals ; the former is from 

 Mount Ithome, in Greece, the latter is from Naples. f 



The gems of the Boragineous plants in our small collection are 

 decidedly the two following, which are also probably the only 

 two that would be worth continuous cultivation as permanent 

 occupants of the parterre or conservatory. The first is Mattia 

 gr(Bca, which has the habit of an alpine and rock -loving plant. 

 Its leaves are in shape and hue like some of the well-known 

 Alyssums ; and its inflorescence is umbellate, not unlike the 

 trusses of flowers of our common Cowslip or Oxlip. The colour 



* Onosma orphanoides I have seen only in the rich Ticinity of the Convent of 

 Megaspehon (where the Greek Eevohition began, and which had the glory of re- 

 pulsing Ibrahim Pasha when he had nearly re-conquered Peloponnesus). To these 

 may be added, from the south of Prance, O. echioides, which I have found lately 

 for the first time. It is very like the others in habit, and its flowers are a still 

 paler yellow than those of 0. pallidum, 



f CerintJie aspera is very common about Naples. You can even see in the dried 

 state how fine a plant it is. It is less common in Grreece. C. retorta I have seen 

 in a few places. My specimens are from the hill or mountain of Ithome, the seat 

 of so many Messenian struggle*. C. minor, a plant not unlike C. retorta, I have 

 collected in Italy. 



