THE PHLOX FAMILY. 445 



1829. S. intermedia is another pretty hybrid, sent out by M. 

 Belot of Moulins ; and the other species, such as S. Fortunei 

 and S. specwsa, would doubtless well repay the trouble of inter- 

 breeding. 



THE PHLOX FAMILY (Polemoniacece). 



A group of ornamental evergreen or herbaceous plants, 

 principally natives of N. and S. America, in temperate lati- 

 tudes, none being found in the tropics. They are represented 

 in gardens by Phlox, Collomia, Gilia, Leptosiphon, Polemonium, 

 Cantua, and Cobcea. Nearly all are readily propagated from 

 seeds, which are freely produced, arid germinate readily in heat. 

 The herbaceous section may also be propagated by cuttings 

 and division. Dr Asa Gray, in reviewing the N. American 

 Phloxes, remarks that several kinds appear to be natural hybrids; 

 and this is very interesting, since " many species have been so 

 long cultivated and hybridised that their specific names have 

 given place in many instances to the names by which they are 

 distinguished by horticulturists." The herbaceous Phlox of 

 our gardens, of which we have now so many forms, appears 

 to have descended from P. decussata, P. paniculata, P. suf- 

 fruticosa, P. Carolina, and other old species of the tall-growing 

 section. The last named was introduced in 1728, but was soon 

 lost, and its culture may be said to date from 1811 (see * Bot. 

 Mag.,' t. 1344). It bears large trusses of bright, rosy flowers. 

 P. divaricata (also known as P. canadense) is a very attractive 

 plant, with bluish lavender-tinted flowers. Seed gathered in- 

 discriminately from a good bed of florists' varieties will give 

 a fair percentage of fine flowers; but in all cases careful 

 crossing is to be advised, as the chances of their improve- 

 ment are then fully fifty per cent greater. The dwarf-growing 

 section includes some very pretty little species and varieties. 

 Phlox subulata (see 'Bot. Mag.,' t. 411). This is a pretty 

 little procumbent rosy-flowered species, introduced from Vir- 

 ginia about 1790. A still earlier plant in this group was P. 

 setacea (see ' Bot. Mag.,' t. 415), a native of Carolina, and 

 grown since 1788. Like the last-named plant, this has rosy 

 flowers, with a dark eye. P. frondosa and others are well- 

 known dwarf-growing plfcnts; and it is a pity we have not 

 more hybrids and seminal varieties in our gardens, as they are 

 so well adapted for rockwork or for fringing the margins of 

 herbaceous borders. The pretty little white-flowered P. Nel- 

 sonii is a garden hybrid, raised about twenty years ago by the 



