142 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



large heads of violet flowers. Quite remarkable is A. sericeus, 

 witli silky foliage and lilac flowers. A. mnltijlorus aud A. ericoides 

 are also valuable, uot on account of the size but the great 

 quantity of their white flowers. Other very good species are 

 grandiflorus, diffusits, anietlii/stinus, versicolor, azureus, Curtisii, 

 and Rddula; and many others could be named. 



The genus Solidago, or Golden-rod, includes a great many species 

 which have, with one or two exceptions, all yellow flowers. Among 

 the best ones are S. Drumvioiidi, with arching and much branch- 

 ing stems ; «S. speciosa, about three feet high, slightly arching, and 

 bearing large panicles of flowers; S. Virga-aurea, which varies in 

 stature according to the locality where it grows ; it has a large 

 dense inflorescence, of bright 3-ellow color ; 6'. rigida, which grows 

 three or four feet hmh, the stout stems terminated with dense pani- 

 cles of large flowers : and S. semper cij'ens, which although com- 

 mon is quite showy, having shining foliage. This genus has 

 seventy-eight s|)ecii'S, besides mtmy varieties. 



Nearly as large a genus is the Erigeron or Fleabane. E. belli- 

 difolinm is (juite common in our woods, but the western species 

 and especially salsughiosus, speciasits, and macr<(nthas are much 

 more show}'. They grow from one to three feet in height and 

 produce numerous and large violet or whitisii flowers. 



Two species of (Enothera, or Evening Primrose, are notable ; 

 (E. fnUicosa, a foot hig.i, wilh several ami)le yellow flowers, and 

 Cfi". 3Ii>iS'>Hrieitsis, of trailing habit and with flowers of great size 

 and beautiful yellow color. 



A very prelly plant is Cunila Mariana or Dittany ; this grows 

 very de se, and i)roduces a large number of purplish flowers in 

 the autumn. 



Another very noteworth}' plant is Asdepias tuberosa, with stems 

 one to two feet high and clusters of deep orange-red flowers. 

 TJiis plant does not like to be disturl)ed at the root. 



Pulevionium cceruleum and the white variety are quite showy 

 when in bloom in June and July. P. re2itans, a vernal species, 

 grows onl}' six inches high, making a mass of light blue flowers 

 in May. 



The llydropliyllums also would be worth cultivating; the plants 

 have either l)lue or while fl<nvers, in the spring 



The Tlialiclrum, or Meadow-Uuc, is quite ornamental ; T. Cor- 

 ntdi and T. dinicuui have white and 7'. Feudleri yellow flowers. 



