DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 315 



in a tbin panicle ; one foot and one-half high. A smooth 

 variety is P. Icevigatum, which is very similar, but with 

 paler flowers. 



P, campanulatus. This species is known under several 

 names, such as P. pulchettus, P. atropurpureas, P. roseus, 

 etc. It has large bell-shaped, pale-purple flowers, and 

 long lanceolate, smooth serrate leaves ; one foot high. It 

 flowered finely though the last autumnal months, in our 

 collection, although it was from seed the same season. 



P. COeruleilS; is one of the finest of the genus, a native 

 of the South, with beautiful blue flowers. Stem smooth ; 

 radical leaves linear, entire ; cauline ones lance-linear, en- 

 tire, all sessile ; sterile filament short, bearded above ; di- 

 visions of the calyx lanceolate, acute, glabrous. 



Pi barMtus. Bearded Pentstemon. This is sometimes 

 called Chelone barbata. It is a half-hardy perennial from 

 Mexico; a splendid plant, with flower-stems three feet 

 high, covered with a profusion of scarlet-orange flowers ; 

 from July to September. It will be necessary to cover it 

 well with pine boughs, or straw, in the winter, or it may 

 be destroyed by the frost. The safest way is, to place the 

 plants in a cold frame for the winter. 



When seeds can be obtained, there will be no trouble in 

 raising a supply of plants. It is said to be difficult, or 

 even impossible, to raise the seeds in heat. * We are inclined 

 to believe there is some truth in the remark, as we suc- 

 ceeded in raising only a few plants in a moderate hot-bed, 

 while those sown in the open ground in May, produced 

 an abundance. As the seeds are very small, they should 

 only be pressed into the soil, or very slightly covered. 

 The young plants should be sheltered from the mid-day 

 sun. Most of the species are easily propagated from cut- 

 tings or layers, which readily take root. A mixture of 

 peat and loam is the best soil for them. 



