CENTAUREA CHRISEIS. 171 



are the only colors that look well. There are the tall and 

 dwarf varieties, and some that are somewhat branching ; but 

 these last should be rejected. To produce fine combs the soil 

 cannot be made too rich ; the plants must also be forwarded in 

 a hot-bed. Very showy plants can be raised by sowing the 

 seed in the open ground in May, but they cannot be raised in 

 perfection. 



CENTAUREA. 



Centaur ea Americana. American Centaurea. A hand- 

 some hardy annual, discovered by Nuttall, on the alluvial soil 

 of the Arkansas and Red rivers, two or three feet high, with 

 large purplish-pink flowers in August. It is of easy culture, 

 and should be sown early in April. 



Centaurea cyanus, Blue Bottle, is a common weed, in 

 cornfields, on gravelly soils, throughout Europe, and also a 

 popular border annual. The flower, originally blue, in gardens 

 present varieties with white, pink, purple and parti-colored 

 rays. The time of sowing early in April. 



Centaurea moschata pnrpurea var. alba. Purple Sweet 

 Sultan, White do. Handsome border annuals, of easy cul- 

 ture, natives of Persia, two feet high, with fragrant flowers 

 from July to September. Sow in April. 



Centaurea suaveolens. Yellow Sweet Sultan. A hand- 

 some annual from the Levant, one and a half foot high, with 

 lively, rich yellow flowers from July to September. Sow first 

 of May. 



Centaurea benedicta. Blessed Thistle. A hardy annual 

 from Spain, two feet high, with yellow flowers from July to 

 September. Sow last of April. 



CHRISEIS. 



California Poppy. 



Chriseis Calif arnica. Formerly Eschsholtzia. Grows two 

 feet high ; blooms from June to September. Flowers brilliant 



