figured in the London Flor. and Bot. Magazines. 255 



Mr. Walker has a large bed of plants just up, from which he 

 expects to raise a few splendid varieties; amateurs may rest as- 

 sured that he will name nothing that is not as good as his Othel- 

 lo. All lovers of this brilliant flower should call and look at his 

 seedlings. 



Dicotyledonous, Monopetalous, Plants. 

 Gesnerea^ceae. 



GESNE'Rj? 

 lateiitia Lindl. Brick-red Gesnera. A stove herbacenus plant: arrowing from one to two feet 

 liiah; with scarlet flowers; appearing in June; cultivated in peat and loam; a native of 

 Brazil, liot. Reg., 1950. 



" Most nearly allied to G. faucialis, (see vol. II., p. 25,) 

 from which it differs in the leaves being more round, the flowers 

 smaller, the flower-stalks longer, the base of the upper lij) of 

 the corolla as wide as the apex, the narrow orifice of the tube, 

 and the truncated middle lobe of the lower lip." It belongs to 

 the bulbous species of the genus. The flowers are scarlet, and 

 very showy, from six to ten appearing on the terminal racemes, 

 the lov/er ones axillary; the corolla is toraentose, the lip long 

 and emarginate. It is a native of Brazil, from whence it was in- 

 troduced by the London Horticultural Society, in whose collec- 

 tion it flowered in 1834. {Bot. Reg., April.) 



Few of the Gesneras are cultivated in the collections of plants 

 in this country: they are extremely beautiful, and deserve more 

 attention at the hands of the amateur. 



Schrophularidcece. 



PENTSTE'JION 

 breviflorus Lindl. Short-flowered Pentstemon. A perennial herbaceous plant; growing two 

 feet high; with white and purple flowers; appearing in September; increased by cuttings; 

 cultivated in peat and loam; a native of Calilornia; introduced in 1835. Bot. Eeg., 1946. 



Plants of this species were raised from seeds picked from the 

 dried specimens sent by Mr. Douglas to the London Horticul- 

 tural Society. In its native country it " appears to be a stout 

 branchy plant, bearing a profusion of small white and purple 

 flowers." In its cultivated state, however, it is so tender and 

 difficult to manage, that its native beauty is but partially develop- 

 ed. It appears to be hardy, but though it grows tolerably freely 

 during summer, it perishes during the winter; and only two weak 

 and puny specimens are all that now remain. The stem is erect, 

 the leaves ovate-lanceolate: the flowers appear in fastigate panicles, 

 and are, from their number, very ornamental. A strong plant, 

 covered with blossoms, must be a very interesting object. [Bot. 

 Reg.., April.) 



Several varieties of calceolarias are now in bloom at Mr. 

 Towne's, some of which are very splendid. The var. Grand 

 Sultan is now in flower in most of the collections around Boston. 

 Mr. Carter, of the Botanic Garden, has raised a new, and, we 

 have been informed, elegant seedling. Mr. Wilder had a num- 



