40 PERENNIALS. [Marclu 



colored corollas, some of them about six inches in diameter ; 

 bloom from May to July, and will grow in almost any soil. 

 There is a plant known in our gardens as H. coeriilea^ which 

 is Funhia carulea, and has a campanulate corolla, with a 

 cylindrical tube; flowers in spikes; leaves ovate, acumi- 

 nate. 



Hibiscus. There are several herbaceous species very 

 showy and handsome, H. paliistris ; H. raseus ; II. militd- 

 Tis ; H.specibsus; H. grandijibrus ; and H. pungens. They 

 grow best in moist situations, and where these are not to be 

 had, give them plenty of water, and plant in sandy soil 

 enriched with decayed leaves. The flowers are about six 

 inches in diameter, flowering up the stem, either solitary or 

 in small bunches. H. sp>ecibsiis is the most splendid, and 

 deserves a situation in every garden. The roots in winter 

 ought to be covered with litter, tan, or saw-dust; but a 

 better method is to lift them, and put them in the cellar, 

 covered with dry earth, and kept from the frost. All the 

 above-mentioned species are improved by being protected 

 during winter. 



Iris, Flower-de-lis, has many fine species of various shades 

 and colors, I suhijiora, I. nepaUnsis, I. Pallasii, I. pallida, 

 I. cristdta, I. arendria, I. furcdta, I. germdnica, I. floren- 

 t\na, I. v6rna, and I. susidna. The last is the finest of the 

 herbaceous species ; the flowers are very large and curiously 

 spotted with brown ; it stands the severest of our winters 

 unprotected. The root of I. Jiorentlna is the orris root of 

 the druggists. They are all of easy culture in any loamy 

 soil inclining to moisture. The bulbous species will be 

 treated of in Sepf ember or October. Corolla six-petaled, 

 three erect and three reclined alternately ; proceeding from 

 spathes or sheaths witli flowers in succession. 



Liatris is a genus of native plants, containing several fine 

 species, L. squarrbsa, large purple heads of beautiful flowers; 

 L. degcms; L. paniculdta. L. macrodacliya, now L. spicdta, 

 is a fine large growing species. They have syngenesious 

 purple flowers in long close spikes, dificring from other 

 spiked flowering genera by blooming first at the extremity. 

 They grow best in strong heavy soil. 



Li/chnis. Three species are very desirable in the flower 

 borders. L. chalceddnica has bright scarlet crowned flowers; 

 the double scarlet variety is splendid ; there is also a double 



