Ixvi GARDEN BOTANY. 



V. speeiosa, with oval or obovate leaves, and dense spikes of violet- 

 blue flowers, and 



V. salicifolia, with lanceolate leaves and large spikes of blue flowers, 

 are showy tall-shrubby species from New Zealand, cult, in conservatories. 



Order ACANTHACEJE. Acanthus Family. 



Manual, p. 296. — Many adorn the richer conservatories; but the only com- 

 monly cultivated plants of the order belong to 



1. Thunbergia. Differs from the rest of the order in having a cartilagi- 

 nous ring or cup, in place of a hook, supporting the seed. A pair of large 

 bracts cover the calyx ; tube of the corolla more or less inflated, the almost 

 equally 5-parted border widely spreading : stamens 4, anthers bearded. Pod 

 2-4-seeded, globular, pointed with a long flat beak. They are cultivated 

 as annuals : the common sorts belong to 



T. alata. Twining, hairy ; leaves cordate-sagittate, the petiole winged ; co- 

 rolla yellow, buff, or white, with a dark purple eye. 



Order VERBENACEJE. Vervain Family. 



Manual, p. 298. — Comprises some familiar ornamental plants, such as Ver- 

 benas. 



Flowers in heads, spikes, or racemes. 



Calyx tubular, 5-angled or plaited : corolla salver-shaped : herbs. . . 1. VERBENA. 



Calyx tubular, not plaited : corolla funnel-form, or somewhat 2-lipped. 2. LIPPIA. 



Calyx very short : corolla salver-shaped or tubular-funnel-form : shrubs. 3. LANTANA. 

 Flowers in cymes or cymules which are niostty panicled or spiked : corolla 



2-lipped : shrubs with palmately-compound leaves. . .4. VITEX. 



1. Verbena. The handsome Verbenas which adorn the gardens and houses 

 mainly consist of the following botanical species and their mixtures : — 



V. Aubletia, Man. p 299, known by the glandular appendage which 

 tips the larger stamens, and the deeply cleft, or pinnatilid and incised leaves : 

 flowers purple, violet, and varying to white. 



V. chamsedrifo-lia, the Scarlet V., with procumbent rooting stems, 

 oblong-lanceolate coarsely serrate leaves, nearly all sessile, and most intense 

 red or scarlet flowers, in a Hat cluster. 



V. phlogiflora, also named Tweediana. Resembles the last, but 

 nearly upright ; the leaves decidedly petioled ; the flowers inclined to form an 

 oblong spike, and crimson, varying to rose, but not to scarlet. 



V. incisa. Differs from the last in the pinnatifid-mcised leaves, the 

 petioled ones with a cordate base ; flowers in flat clusters or spikes, rose-color 

 or purple. 



V. teucroid.es. Erect or spreading, with ovate-oblong and incised ses- 

 sile leaves, and a lengthened spike of white or pale rosy flowers, which are 

 very sweet-scented, especially at nightfall. All but the first come from Buenos 

 Ayres and that region. 



2. Lippia (or Aloysia) citriodora is the name of the S. American 

 shrub, called Lemon-scented or Sweet Verbena, from the fine fragrance 

 of its leaves : these are linear-lanceolate, roujjhish with glandular dots, and 

 whorled in threes or fours ; flowers small in slender spikes. 



3. Lantana. Tropical shrubby plants, planted out in summer, when they 

 flower freely until frost comes ; stems often rough-prickly ; herbage and flow 



