GARDEN FLOWERS. 369 



flowers purple, in June ; south of Europe ; 1796. V. spectabile 

 (showy) ; hardy biennial ; 2 feet ; flowers yellow and purple, 

 in July ; Tauria ; 1820. V. thapsus (shepherd's club); hardy 

 biennial ; 6 feet ; flowers yellow, in July ; England. V. triste 

 (dark) ; hardy perennial ; 2 feet ; flowers yellow and red, in July ; 

 south of Europe ; 1688. 



There are about fifty other species. 



VERBENA. Vervain. [Verbenaceae.] Beautiful flower-gar- 

 den plants, consisting for the most part of perennial species, 

 requiring protection during winter. The race of half-hardy 

 Verbenas has given rise to those fine seminal varieties, which 

 are now, during summer, to be seen decorating every garden. 

 V. Melindres or chamcedrifolia was one of the first favorites ; 

 but, like most of the other species, it has been lost amid the 

 more beautiful sorts that have sprung up under the florists' 

 care. It is the creeping habit, however, and abundant bloom 

 of V. Melindres, which has given much of their value to the 

 florists' seedlings ; their size and the more erect habit and 

 fragrance observable in recent varieties having been derived 

 from V. teucrioides. The Verbena strikes freely under a bell- 

 glass in light sandy soil, and very quickly in a mild hot-bed ; 

 and it grows freely in any rich light soil. New varieties are 

 raised from seeds. The seeds should be sown in pans, and 

 placed in a greenhouse or frame, the young seedlings planted 

 out in beds six inches apart, until it is seen what flowers 

 they produce, when such as are worthy may be propagated. 

 In gardens, those which approach nearest to the admirable 

 habit of V. Melindres which creeps along the ground, 

 spreading and rooting at every joint, until it covers a bed 

 like a carpet, and throws up its umbels or trusses of flowers 

 all over its allotted space should be selected. 



V. Melindres (Melindres) ; half-hardy perennial ; I foot ; flow- 

 ers scarlet, in June ; Buenos Ayres ; 1827. V. multifida (many- 

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