368 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



half-hardy showy annuals. Light, rich soil. Propagated by 

 seeds, which should be sown in May where they are to bloom. 



V. calendulaceum (marigold-like) ; half-hardy annual ; I foot ; 

 flowers yellow, in August; Cape of Good Hope ; 1852. 



VENUS LOOKING-GLASS. See SPECULARIA. 



VENUS NAVELWORT. See OMPHALODES. 



VERATRUM. [Melanthacese.] Hardy herbaceous plants 

 of tall coarse habit, but with fine ornamental foliage, and 

 having a very distinct habit and appearance, and therefore 

 desirable in large mixed borders. They increase by division, 

 and grow in ordinary garden-soil. 



V. album (white) ; hardy perennial ; 3 feet ; flowers greenish, 

 in July ; Europe ; 1 548. V. nigrum (black) ; hardy perennial ; 

 3 feet ; flowers dark-chocolate, in July ; Siberia ; 1596. V. viride 

 (green) ; hardy perennial ; 5 feet ; flowers greenish, in June ; 

 North America ; 1742. 



VERBASCUM. Mullein. [Scrophularineae.] Hardy peren- 

 nials, strikingly effective in large borders, or towards the 

 margins of shrubberies. They are easily-grown plants, thriv- 

 ing in any garden soil, and only need to be sown where they 

 are to bloom, each patch being thinned away, leaving only 

 the strongest. The seeds should be sown about June in one 

 year, to produce flowering plants for the next season. They 

 are mostly biennials, and young plants should therefore be 

 raised from seeds annually. The perennials are increased 

 both by seeds and division. 



V. alopecurus (fox-tail) ; hai dy perennial ; 3 feet ; flowers yel- 

 low, in July ; France; 1820. V. A ustriacum (Austrian) ; hardy 

 perennial ; 5 feet ; flowers yellow, in July ; Austria ; 1818. V. 

 blattaria (moth) ; hardy biennial ; 4 feet ; flowers yellow, in July ; 

 England. V. formosum (handsome) ; hardy biennial ; 2 feet ; 

 flowers yellow, in July ; Russia; 1818. V. grandiflorum (large- 

 flowered) ; hardy biennial ; 4 feet ; flowers yellow, in July ; Eu- 

 rope ; 1820. V. Phoeniceum (purple) ; hardy perennial ; 3 feet ; 



