1863.] NOTES ON SOME ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 589 



of the flowers is a very deep purple, nearly black in our specimen. 

 Although in Europe almost exclusively confined to Greece, it is 

 not in Smith's ' Prodromus.' Our specimen is from Mount Khel- 

 mos, and it flowers in June. But the showiest and handsomest 

 of all the Greek Boraffinea is unquestionably Mmnbya cepha- 

 lotes, Bois., Arnebia, Dec, a plant which is neither in Smith's 

 ' Prodromus' nor in Nymann's ' Sylloge.^ This^ like the last-men- 

 tioned, is a Mount Khelmos species, and flowers in June. The 

 leaves are lanceolate, elongated, very hoary, mostly but not all 

 radical ; the flowering stem is stout, erect, and from 9-12 inches 

 long ; the flowers, as in Maltia, are umbellate, and the entire 

 truss is not much smaller than a cricket-ball. The individual 

 pips or flowers are quite as large as those of the common Primrose, 

 and of the most charming yellow colour ; its habit is quite unex- 

 ceptionable. 



The writer of these recommendatory remarks is too old to 

 undertake so long a journey as to Mount Khelmos, in Greece, to 

 see this fine specimen of the Greek flora, but he would gladly go 

 so far as Snowdon to see it in a vital state, with all the concomi- 

 tants even of Welsh scenery, notwithstanding the drawbacks of 

 mist, drizzly rain, wind, snow, and hail. To admire it amid the 

 fascinating loveliness and imposing grandeur of Greek scenery 

 would be rather too much for an excitable mortal safely to under- 

 take. 



These two plants, viz. one of the Mattias, M. grcsca, a species 

 which is probably not in our larger catalogues of collections, and 

 certainly neither in Sweet's nor in Donn's, is hardy, being in 

 Greece a mountainous plant. The other one, viz. Mumbya 

 cephalotes, is one of the choicest species in the entire Order. It 

 well deserves cultivation, and it will get a place and retain its 

 eminence in the most select assortments of the vegetable king- 

 dom.* 



Finally, the writer hereby informs both amateurs and com- 

 mercial cultivators, that the pickings from Greece, etc, in his 

 possession, are by far, as a whole, superior to the few here pre- 

 sented as a sample. The best leg or foot has not been placed 



* Matt'ia grcEca and especially Mumhya cephalotes are indeed splendid plants. 

 I believe both were unknown until the most magnificent mouutaui in Greece, 

 Mount Khelmos, in which are the falls of the Styx, was botanically explored within 

 the last few years. You can imagine what a fine sight the Mumhya is on the steep, 

 rocky sides of that noble mountain. 



