734 



PENTSTEMON. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PENTSTEMON. 



P. Cobtea, but when once seen it is not readily 

 mistaken. 



P. confertus. A distinct plant with short 

 erect stems rising from a carpet of dark green 

 shining leaves, at times finely toothed. Small 

 flowers of pale yellow or creamy white in 

 dense crowded spikes. A much prettier 

 variety of this is P. caruleo-pitrpuretts , with 

 compact heads of deep violet blue, appearing 

 earlier than any other kind. Syn. P. pro- 

 cerus. 



P. cordifolius. A useful shrubby plant of 

 semi-climbing habit, flowering from early 

 summer to late autumn. Its growths are leafy, 

 the long slender stems loaded with tubular 

 scarlet flowers about an inch long. S. Cali- 

 fornia. Being tender, this handsome kind 

 needs shelter in winter. 



P. cristatus.-^A good plant of but a few 

 inches with a tuft of narrow hairy leaves often 

 sticky with gum, and short spikes of reddish- 

 purple flowers about an inch long, and of 

 curious shape from abrupt inflation of the 

 tube. 



P. deustus. An effective kind for group- 

 ing amongt rocks, being of neat dwarf habit 

 with short stems rising from a woody base. 

 Leaves thick, shining, and variable in shape, 

 mostly dented, and the upper ones stemless. 

 Wide-mouthed flowers of yellowish-white, 

 sometimes tinged with purple, and arranged 

 in a crowded cluster on the spike. July. 

 Western States. 



P. diffusus. Abundant near the Columbia 

 River, and one of the best in flower from June 

 until cut by frost. Stems of about 2 feet, of 

 spreading habit, the broad leaves deeply 

 toothed ; light rose-purple flowers of less than 

 an inch, upon short stalks, and carried upon 

 leafy much-branched stems. A showy little 

 plant, early in flower, seeding freely, and well 

 worth cultivation. It is, however, apt to suc- 

 cumb to the dampness of our winters. 



P. Eatoni. A plant of recent introduction, 

 and one of the best of the group, growing 

 about 2 feet, with flowers of rich crimson- 

 scarlet widening towards the mouth, and finely 

 contrasted with silvery-glaucous stems and 

 foliage. California. 



P. gentianoides. A large-flowered Mexi- 

 can species with long shining leaves upon 

 stems of 3 to 4 feet, and spikes of violet 

 flowers in July. Tender in all save the most 

 sheltered positions, and now superseded by 

 the garden varieties, of which it is part 

 parent. 



P. glaber. A handsome plant, and one of 

 the best, with several fine seedling forms. 

 Dwarf erect growths, often less than a foot 

 high and slender in habit, with long narrow 

 leaves, smooth and wavy. Profuse in fleshy 

 flowers of an inch or more, wide at the mouth 

 and borne in clusters of six or seven ; colour, 

 bright blue shading to violet or purple. Banks 

 of the Spokane River in N.W. America. 

 Among its many good forms are alpimts, a 

 dwarf robust kind with dense clusters of clear 

 azure blue ; cvananthus, . a form from the 



Rocky Mountains, with taller and greener 

 stems, broader in leaf, with dense clusters of 

 blue : hybridus, stouter and more vigorous 

 with large heads of blue and rosy-purple ; 

 speciosits, a narrow-leaved form with beautiful 

 bright blue flowers shaded purple ; and splen- 

 dens, a tall plant with flowers of rich dark 

 blue. Seed should be sown early in spring. 

 Syn. P. speciosus and preanthera. 



P. glandulosus. A showy plant from the 

 sandy channels of torrents in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Thin toothed leaves upon stout erect 

 stems of 2 to 3 feet ; flower-spikes narrow 

 with large rosy or lilac flowers, wide in the 

 throat and short in the lip. June. 



P. glaucus. A dwarf kind from the Rocky 

 Mountains, with grey stems and foliage of 

 about 9 inches ; dense clusters of dull lilac 

 or bluish-purple flowers of medium size, with 

 a wide pale throat. A form of this is known 

 as stenosepalus. 



P. gracilentus. A shrubby kind of about 

 a foot, with a woody base, long shining leaves, 

 and loose clusters of tiny violet-blue flowers 

 very shortly lobed. 



P. gracilis. A slender and pretty plant of 

 dwarf growth with long funnel-shaped flowers 

 of lavender colour, varying to white ; upper 

 leaves long and narrow, base leaves more 

 rounded. August. 



P. grandiflorus. A tall grower, with stout 

 stems of about 3 feet, and thick, broad leaves 

 of bluish-grey, clasping or surrounding the 

 stem. Brilliant flowers of 2 inches or more 

 of a fine blue or purple, with a wide base and 

 very short stalks. 



P. Hallii. A low herb from the mountains 

 of Colorado, with thick, narrow leaves, and 

 broad, bell-shaped flowers of pale mauve or 

 purple, in short spikes. 



P. Hartwegi. Found by Humboldt upon 

 the mountains of Toluco, Mexico, at a height 

 of 11,000 feet. It is a plant of great vigour 

 and beauty, and for a while was much grown, 

 but has given place to modified forms in which 

 its influence is very marked. Its purple stems, 

 freely branched, exceed 3 feet, with long shin- 

 ing leaves of bright green and narrow droop- 

 ing flowers, red or deep purplish-crimson. 



P. heterophyllus. A lovely little sub- 

 shrub, 12 to 15 inches high, with narrow 

 leaves of grey-green, and slender branching 

 stems of clear, bright blue flowers, with a rosy 

 flush deepening to purple, and often much 

 varied upon the same plant. July. Thrives 

 best in warm sheltered spots and light soil, 

 and it is best to winter a reserve of cuttings 

 under glass. California. 



P. humilis. A dwarf plant of 6 to 8 

 inches, from open slopes of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and as a result very hardy in bleak ex- 

 posures. It is akin to P. gracilis, with 

 flowers of a deeper blue and denser in the 

 spike, appearing early in June. They are 

 small and narrow, ranging from deep purplish- 

 blue to nearly white, and freely produced. A 

 gem for the rock garden, in gritty loam and 

 leaf-mould, freely watered during summer. 



