274 



BUDDLEIA 



linear-lanceolate, finely toothed, with very long, tapered points ; dark green 

 and soon becoming smooth above, white-felted beneath ; stalks very short. 

 Flowers slightly fragrant, arranged densely in short, rounded clusters on 

 slender panicles 6 to 30 ins. long, according to the vigour of the plant 

 and the variety, and appearing from July to October, or later. Corolla 

 varying in colour from lilac to purple, orange-yellow at the mouth, the 

 tube ^ to ^ in. long, the limb to ^ in. wide , flower-stalks and calyx more 

 or less felted. Seed-vessel smooth ^ to ^ in long, cylindrical, pointed 



Native of Central and W. China up to 9000 ft. first discovered near Ichang 

 by Prof. Henry, about 1887, and originally introduced by way of St Petersburg. 

 Of the many forms of B. variabilis this, the earliest one, is the poorest, being 

 of comparatively weak, low, semi-prostrate habit, and poor in colour of flower. 

 Nowadays it is not worth growing. A second and much superior form 



BUDDLEIA VARIABILIS var. MAGNIFICA. 



was raised in France in 1893, by Mr Maurice de Vilmorin, this having a 

 more erect habit, arching branches, with denser clusters and longer panicles 

 of lilac flowers. It is var. VEITCHIANA, afterwards introduced by Wilson. 



Var. MAGNIFICA is similar in habit to var. Veitchiana, but commences to 

 flower rather later. It has bright violet-purple flowers, the divisions of the 

 corolla being reflexed at the margin 



Var WILSONI has flowers of a rosy lilac with a deep orange centre, the 

 divisions of the corolla being erect. Both these were originally introduced by 

 Wilson for Messrs Veitch. 



B. variabilis in all its forms needs a rich, loamy soil ; the more robust its 

 growth, the finer the flower panicles. The previous year's growth should be 

 pruned hard back every spring. Vigorous young plants treated in this way 

 will make shoots 8 ft. long in a season, terminated in due time by panicles 

 2 to 2^ ft. long. Its best forms are probably the most effective of all late 

 summer-flowering shrubs. 



