140 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



flowers ; the disk is brown and the rays are golden-yellow. Other 

 very good species are R. grandijlora, R. Califomica, and R. 

 7nollis. all worth cultivating — and more might be named. 



Lepachys pitinata resembles somewhat tlie last named genus ; it 

 grows about three feet high, and produces a profusion of flowers 

 in August and September ; the disk is light brown and the rays are 

 yellow. 



All the hundred species and varieties of Pentstemon are showy, 

 but unfortunately only a few will stand our winters, the genus 

 being made up chiefly by natives of western and south-western 

 states. Among the hardy kinds v;e have P. diffasus, which I con- 

 sider the ber.t one ; it grows from twelve to eighteen inches high, 

 and its large purple flowers are very freely produced from May to 

 August. P. pubescens is another good species, with long spikes of 

 pale violet flowers produced in May and June. P. ovatus is also 

 worth growiug ; it flowers in June and July. P. glaber is a very 

 showy and compact plant ; the stems are a foot high, covered for 

 the most part with very large blue or purple flowers. P. Iceviga- 

 tvs and the variety Digitalis are showy plants, growing to the 

 height of five feet ; the flowers are white, in dense spikes. P. con- 

 fertus has also a profusion of lilac flowers, although not very large. 

 P. barbatus is one of the best for general culture ; the leaves are 

 shining, while the flowers, which are borne on long spikes, are deep 

 red. There are several varieties, the best of which is Torreyi, 

 more robust than the type, flowering later, and having darker 

 flowers and larger branching spikes. 



Closely allied is the genus Chelone or Turtle Head ; of which 

 three species are hardy, glabra^ with white flowers, and Lyoni 

 and obliqua^ with rose colored flowers. 



The Aquilegias, or Columbines, are very showy and deserving 

 plants. I name first A. chrysantha, which grows three feet in 

 height, and has long spui-red golden flowers. A. ccernlea has nearly 

 the same structure, but the sepals are deep blue and the petals 

 white, making it very ornamental. A. formosa and A. truncata 

 have red flowers, while A. brevistyla has dark blue flowers. Not 

 less noteworthy is A. Canadmsis with its profusion of red flow- 

 ers in the earliest spring, and although quite common in our woods 

 very ornamental in cultivation. There are two other species, A. 

 flavesceva nnd A. Jouenii, which are at present very little known. 

 Numerous hybrids of this genus have been produced in cultivation, 

 but none are equal to any of the species. 



