CENTAUREA, Nat. Ord. Composite. 



The Centaureas are a very large family, and some of the members bring no very great 

 credit to the household, many English fanners think when they see the Blue Bottles among the 

 Wheat, and the Knapweed in the pastures. It is, of course, a little 

 flattering to our national pride to be able to say that the handsomest 

 and best of the tribe are Americans. Some English Botanists, we 

 know, think that one bad fellow emigrated from 

 America, naturalized, and took up his abode in 

 England, but we have never acknowledged the 

 truth of this charge, and do not design to do so 

 without better proof. The Centaureas are per- 

 fectly hardy, and some of the best varieties are 

 really fine. C. Americana, is sometimes called 

 Basket Flower, because the calyx has the appear- 

 ance of a basket filled and overflowing with the 

 hair-like petals. We have endeavored to show the appearance of this flower in the engraving. 



CENTRANTHUS, Nat. Ord. Valerianace<z. 



There are several varieties of perennial Centranthus, differing not very materially from the 

 Valerians, that is, for the purposes of the florist. C. macrosiphon is a very pretty annual specie>, 

 for which we are indebted to Spain. It has a light green, hoi- 

 low, almost transparent stem, delicate branches, with light, 

 glaucous leaves. The flowers are small and borne in clusters, 

 as shown in the engraving, and for a pretty 

 bed or mass of delicate flowers, or for a ^4J^^ 

 little reserve for cutting, we may search a 

 long time before we find anything to sur- 

 pass the little" Centranthus. The word 

 macrosiphon means long-tubed, and as will 

 be seen by the engraving, these flowers 

 have long, slender tubes. We have had 

 no difficulty in getting a good growth from the seed, either in the open ground or under glass. 



CHAM^EPEUCE, Nat. Ord. Composite:. 



The Chamsepeuce is a very singular and rather elegant Thistle-like plant, with the prettiest 

 variegated leaves and the sharpest spines imaginable. It is perennial, 

 living several years, but not blooming until the second year, though this 

 is of very little consequence, as the beauty is in the foliage and not the 

 flowers. It is perfectly hardy in this section, the self-sown seed having 

 produced plants on our grounds for several years. It is much used in 

 some parts of the world for decorative purposes, a good plant in a pot, 

 looking quite as well as a young Century Plant or any thing of this character. 



CLEOME, Nat. Ord. Capparidacece. 

 The Cleomes are very good half-hardy annuals, obtained, we believe, first from South America, 



and now pretty generally cultivated, 

 latterly has been classed with the 

 half-hardy annuals in England, and 

 in America it does exceedingly well, 

 flourishing in our hottest, driest 

 seasons. The Cleomes have very 

 singular flowers, as will be seen by 

 the engraving, the stamens looking 

 like spider's legs. The Cleome is a 

 plant well worthy of culture. 

 Growth about eighteen inches, and 

 plants should be set about a foot apart. 



At first it was thought to be a green-house annual, but 



Start the seed under glass, or in 

 68 



a warm sandy soil. 



