PAULOWNIA PENTSTEMON 125 







dimensions are very variable; in adult trees they are 5 to 10 ins. long and 

 wide, dark green, and with scattered hairs above, covered beneath with 

 a soft, thick, greyish wool; stalk nearly as long as the blade. Panicle 

 terminal, up to i ft. long, the flowers forming in autumn but not 

 opening until the following May. Corolla blue-purple, i. 1 , to 2 ins. long, 

 shaped like a huge foxglove ; calyx woolly, J in. long, bell-shaped, with 

 five ovate teeth. Seed-vessel an ovoid, pointed capsule, ij to 2 ins. 

 long, containing numerous winged seeds. 



Native of China, but introduced from Japan to France in 1834. Few 

 more beautiful flowering trees than this exist, but although the tree is fairly 

 hardy and sets its flowers, they often do not develop in this country, 

 owing to its curious habit of exposing them in bud through the winter. 

 Perhaps they do not derive sufficient stamina from our dull summers, but 

 more likely the unrest of our winters, with their alternate frosts and mild 

 spells, prevents their proper development. In the milder counties, as at 

 Abbotsbury, near Weymouth, in S. Wales, and even at Leonardslee in 

 Sussex, the tree flowers and ripens seeds. In the Jardin des Plantes at 

 Paris there are trees 40 or 50 ft. high, with trunks about 8 ft. in girth, 

 which make a splendid picture when in bloom. 



But whilst many gardens in Great Britain are denied the blossoms of this 

 tree, it may, by another mode of cultivation, be made to provide a fine 

 feature anywhere but in the coldest parts. This is to treat it simply 

 as a fine-foliaged plant. To get the best effect the plants should be set 

 out 3 or 4 ft. apart in a group of at least twenty, and be kept to a single 

 stem, the object being to obtain leaves as large as possible. In spring the 

 stem is cut back to within 2 ins. of the older wood. From the crowd of 

 young growths that then push out the two strongest are selected, the 

 rest rubbed off. Two are left for fear of accident only, and after they 

 are fairly established the weaker one is removed. It only then remains 

 to water when necessary and to feed the .plants with manure. Well- 

 grown plants will have huge pentagonal leaves 2 to 3 ft. across, and the 

 sturdy erect stems will grow over 12 ft. high in the season. Paulownias 

 need a rich soil and are best propagated from seed, which is produced 

 in plenty - on the Continent. Root-cuttings may also be used. Several 

 other species of Paulownia have been described and named recently; 

 of these, 



P. FARGESII, Franchet, from Szechuen, China, flowered with the late Mr 

 Boucher in France, about 1907. It had been introduced by means of seed 

 sent by the Abbe Farges to Mr Maurice de Vilmorin. The flowers are white, 

 and the leaves are described as shorter and broader than in P. imperialis, and 

 less downy beneath. Whether it will flower more successfully in this country 

 than the older species remains to be seen. 



PENTSTEMON SCOULERI, Douglas. SCROPHULARIACE^:. 



(Bot. Reg., t. 1277.) 



A semi-shrubby plant only woody at the base, i to ij ft. high; young 

 shoots minutely downy. Leaves opposite, narrowly oblanceolate, i to 



