DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWEKS. 169 



COLLOMIA. 



Collomia COCCinea. A very lively flower, growing in 

 heads of bright carmine-red ; a desirable dwarf annual, 

 flowering early in June and July. The seeds have, like 

 some of the Salvias, the curious property of becoming in- 

 vested with mucus when moistened with water. 



COMMELYNA. 



[So named by Pluinier, in honor of the brothers John and Gasper Commelin, 

 Botanists and Dutch Merchants.] 



Commelyna coelestis, Sky-blue Commelyna. Tender 

 annual from Mexico, or perennial if the roots are taken up 

 and housed. The splendid blue flowers of this plant can- 

 not be excelled, and its profusion of blossoms renders it 

 deserving of cultivation in every flower-garden. The 

 plant blooms from the middle of June to October. The 

 roots are tuberous, and keep well through winter, if taken 

 up after the blooming season, and preserved like Dahlia 

 roots. Plants from the old roots grow, in good soil, from 

 two to three feet high ; those from seeds reach only from 

 one to two feet. The following is the mode of manage- 

 ment I have practised ; I fix upon a circular bed, eight 

 feet in diameter, and in the first week in May I plant four 

 feet of the center with the old roots, placing the crowns 

 just under the surface of the soil. The outer portion of the 

 bed I plant with spring-sown plants, that have been raised 

 in pots placed in a frame. Both the roots and plants v 

 should be planted about six inches apart. Thus, the cen- 

 ter of the bed being much higher than the outer part, the 

 appearance is that of a splendid blue cone of flowers, 

 scarcely to be excelled in beauty. Seeds are produced in 

 abundance, and may be had of seedsmen at a small cost. 

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